Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes with pleasure, surveying the night street. Down below, her soldiers patrolled the roads, driving away passersby and drunk people. She did not care about them; Azula simply enjoyed the cool night air of the city. She continued to breathe and enjoy the calm and quiet until her ear, trained by Master Piandao, heard another heartbeat and quiet footsteps. Turning around, she instantly tensed and prepared for a fight as soon as her eyes saw a silhouette approaching from the darkness.
"No, Yoaru does not have a heartbeat, let alone the sound of footsteps," — Azula instantly killed the flicker of hope within her, carefully watching the slowly approaching unknown person.
Meanwhile, the unknown person continued to approach the light with slow steps. Azula first saw the legs, the waist, and then the rest of the body was illuminated by the moonlight from the window. The unknown person turned out to be none other than…
— Ty Lee? What are you doing here? — the princess asked in surprise, calming down. It turned out not to be another bounty hunter, but her close friend.
— You were gone from the bedroom for a long time, and I could not sleep, so I decided to go look for you, — the acrobat replied, approaching closer.
— I decided to get some fresh air, — the princess said, casting a glance at the night sky with a full moon and bright stars.
— You could not sleep either?
"Ty Lee… just seeing her immediately made me calmer. My heart started beating louder, and I felt so good. Am I smiling?" — thoughts flashed through the princess's mind instantly.
— … Yes, — the blue flame bender admitted with a slight half-smile after a short pause.
Unexpectedly, the wind sharply intensified. Rushing into the corridors, the unrestrained element enveloped both girls in chilling cold, playing with their loose locks and making them squint.
— Brr, — the acrobat shivered, joining her hands and beginning to breathe warm air onto them, — It is cold!
Looking at her friend trembling from the cold, Azula did not ponder her next actions for long.
— Come closer, I do not need you to catch a cold, — without waiting for Ty Lee's reaction, the princess encircled the girl's waist, pulling her closer.
Perhaps she miscalculated her strength, or perhaps the acrobat herself wanted to come closer, but it turned out that the girl literally pressed herself against Azula, wrapping her arms around the princess's head. The friends drew so close that their chests were pressed against each other. It all happened in a moment, but neither of them rushed to break the distance. The girls just met each other's eyes and froze enchantedly, paying attention to nothing else.
— Wow, you are so warm. I never noticed it before, — Ty Lee was the first to regain her composure, realizing that she was much warmer next to Azula. It was as if the air around the princess itself was warm, and her breath radiated a slight heat.
— The advantage of firebending. My body generates significantly more heat than other people's. It is less noticeable during the day, but at night, or in a cold winter, it is much harder for me to get cold, — Azula explained with a smile, not taking her golden-eyed gaze off Ty Lee's sweet face.
— Useful skill, — the acrobat muttered, impressed, — I guess you never catch a cold?
— Never.
— Um… — fidgeting awkwardly in a futile attempt to embrace Azula more comfortably, the acrobat's cheeks flushed, whether from the warmth or the situation. — This is kind of embarrassing. We are so close to each other, and what if someone notices us? They might think something wrong, rumors will start spreading, — Lee was embarrassed, feeling how, with the slightest movement, her nipples, hardened by the cold, began to rub against the other's chest right through the thin fabric of her clothes. The only thing the acrobat managed to achieve was to change their position; now they were standing opposite each other and hugging. Azula's hands were on her waist, while her own crossed behind the girl's neck.
However, at the gymnast's words, Azula only smiled wider and pressed the girl closer to her, not even thinking of taking her eyes off her: — I will not allow my close friend to risk her health by standing right in a draft.
— Oh, you are so caring. — Even more embarrassed, Ty Lee turned her gaze towards the window. However, with this action, she could not hide her emotions. On the contrary, the girl illuminated the blush on her face with the moonlight, unwittingly giving the princess an even better angle.
— Ahem—cough. — Falsely clearing her throat, the acrobat somehow managed to overcome her embarrassment and turned back. Perhaps realizing that the moonlight from the window only worsened her situation. — Azula. I noticed something. You smile quite often when you look at me, — Lee's voice, although calmer, still carried notes of shyness. Which made the acrobat's speech seem a little broken.
— Really? — Azula noted with slight pleasure, continuing to stare at her friend. — I did not notice that about myself.
— Well, perhaps not around people, but when we are alone, I often notice your gaze. Maybe I look terribly funny at such moments? I know I often say silly things; sometimes, I do not think at all and do not watch what I say, — the acrobat began to self-reflect, getting upset. She knew all her flaws better than anyone else, but for Azula, they seemed not to exist at all.
— Lee, it is fine. You are a good friend, a wonderful person, and you smell nice. I do not need a different Ty Lee, — the princess comforted her, running her free hand through the girl's loose and delicate hair, while simultaneously holding her closer, inhaling her friend's alluring scent.
— Is that so? — the acrobat winced, clearly feeling out of place. — Azula, could you stop looking at me like that?
— Like what? — the princess blinked uncomprehendingly, having no idea how her actions appeared to her friend.
— Your gaze is creepy! You stare without looking away and do not even blink! It is scary! — Ty Lee replied indignantly, meeting Azula's lost gaze. The princess had no idea that her actions could be perceived in such a way.
— Scary? Sorry. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable, I was just… — Azula looked away now, loosening her embrace, — lost in thought a little.
"Another moment and I would have repeated my mistake!" — the thought flashed through the princess's mind, touching upon certain memories of her first confession of feelings to Yoaru. Back then, in the heat of the moment, she said many unnecessary things: wars, power, conquests… The girl still felt ashamed of that incident. Yoaru later explained that those were not the things one should talk about so directly to a person they are fond of.
— It is okay. I am not offended. It is not easy for you right now, either, is it? Yoaru was your… friend too, — the acrobat replied understandingly, pressing against her friend and not allowing her to break the hug.
"Ty Lee… it is so hard to find the right words," — Azula thought, looking at her friend before deciding to take the first step.
— It is nothing. Mai is right, life goes on. With his disappearance, I understood many things, and now I want to tell you something. You know, I always feel better next to you. Lee, you are amazing, — the princess noted with a sincere smile, leaning closer to her best friend's face.
— Azula… — the acrobat forgot herself, watching as an all-consuming flame of determination lit up in her friend's eyes.
— Lee…
In this magical moment for two young hearts, the girls were drawn to each other. They did not understand who initiated the closeness first, but a moment later, their lips met in a tender kiss. A kiss that, without any words, conveyed the enormous range of feelings the pair was experiencing at that very moment, by the window, illuminated by the bright light of the full moon.
Neither of them was experienced in this matter, but the princess's eagerness and enthusiasm left no chance for resistance. Time was irrelevant to the young girls. Guards silently continued to patrol the streets outside the window, whispering quietly among themselves. This night was meant only for the two of them.
The girls continued to kiss. Slowly and uncertainly, afraid of not pleasing their partner, they took the first steps towards something more than just ordinary friendship. This continued until both unexpectedly felt a sharp need for a breath of fresh air.
Finishing their first kiss, they continued to look into each other's eyes with completely different feelings.
— Azula… — a blushing Lee whispered her name languidly, feeling heat rising all over her body, — we are both girls.
— I know. I do not care, — a confident answer immediately followed from the princess.
— But…
— Shh. — Azula's finger expertly touched her friend's lips. — Let me speak. I thought for a long time, doubted, weighed things up, and came to a conclusion: I no longer want to hold back my feelings for you, Lee. I do not want us to be just friends, even best friends. What I feel every time I look at you… — she ran her hand through her hair, gently touching her hand, — It is much stronger than ordinary feelings between friends.
— Azula… this is too sudden and unexpected, — Ty Lee answered in confusion, as soon as the princess removed her finger from her lips. Her friend's actions had simply knocked the ground out from under her feet! The acrobat did not know or understand what she should feel at this moment, what to do, what to say, how to act?!
— I understand. With Yoaru's disappearance, I started to fear that someone else might just disappear too, for example, you. These thoughts helped me take the actions I just did. After all, no one knows our future, — the firebender spoke with a somewhat frustrated voice, ceasing to hug the girl.
— Azula, I…
— Shh, why do not we just stay here a little longer? — Turning to the window, Azula inhaled the cold air of the street, feeling her friend's soft arms embracing her. A slight smile of happiness blossomed on the princess's face.
— Of course. You know, I am so cold, I am just trembling from this chilling wind, — Ty Lee said, reaching for another passionate kiss.
— I will always keep you warm…
The girls connected in a kiss again, having made a mutual decision to linger.
---
A while later in the sleeping room.
— You were gone for a long time, — a not-quite-sleeping girl quietly said to the two others who had quietly opened the door and were now creeping in the dark towards their beds.
— Mai! Are you awake? — Ty Lee was surprised by her friend's voice.
— I was sleeping soundly until I realized I was alone in the darkness, — Mai's voice was heard amidst the gloom of the room.
— Now we are back, and we can all go to sleep together, again, — Azula reacted calmly, immediately heading towards her bed, no longer hiding the sound of her steps. Ty Lee followed her example, settling into her own bed. The girls went to sleep as if nothing had happened.
— So, are you not even curious why we were both gone? — the acrobat finally decided to voice the question lingering in her mind, before anyone had fallen asleep.
— No, — the answer followed immediately from the phlegmatic Mai.
— Good night, everyone, — Azula ended their conversation with a direct hint.
Wishing each other good night, the girls fell asleep. Mai was indeed somewhat indifferent to what her friends were doing for about an hour outside the bedroom. They would tell her anything she needed to know, or she would figure it out herself in time. The next day, the princess's squad continued its journey…
Time passed as usual. The hope for Yoaru's return was still present in the girls' hearts, although it cooled with each passing day. The squad moved a little slower than the soldiers' usual pace, lingering in cities for an extra day or even two. Azula had no intention of slowing down her inspection; the checks of cities, military units, fortresses, and villages were carried out record-fast and efficiently, and the girls spent the extra waiting time on themselves. Knowing the princess and her friends, one might think they were jointly honing their skills, but no, the young ladies only trained to maintain their fitness. The girls spent most of their free time resting, sightseeing, and tasting various sweet delicacies from the long-conquered lands and colonies in the Earth Kingdom territories. The trio of friends visited the zoo, hot springs, museums, and even watched a traveling circus performance.
— Lee, do you not like it here? — Azula asked her friend sitting next to her.
— No. This is a bad circus, — the girl replied, looking away from the stage.
— Why did you decide that? — the princess asked with interest, surprised by her friend's reaction.
— The animals in it are unhappy; everything was completely different for us. Can we leave this place? — the girl replied sadly, not wanting to watch the animal performance.
Meanwhile, on the stage, one of the tigers fell on its back, starting to twitch in convulsions, as if experiencing intolerable pain or a psychological trigger. Of course, all the audience saw this. Azula was no exception and quickly understood everything: Ty Lee had spent a lot of time in the circus, performing as an astonishingly talented gymnast. She understood everything at a glance because she knew how things worked in circuses. Although the performance continued for most, and few people paid attention to this incident, smart people understood everything without unnecessary explanations. The animals here were treated extremely horribly.
— No problem. Do you want me to punish the owner of this circus? I can easily destroy him, or turn his life into a living hell, — the princess offered, clearly seeing how painful the failed performance was for her friend.
— No, no. Let us just leave this place, please, — Ty Lee replied quietly, hugging her close friend's arm, pressing against Azula for support.
— All right. Mai, we are leaving.
— What? We are leaving already? Too bad, I was just starting to hope the tigers would eat that trainer, — Mai replied melancholically, standing up and following her friends. Of course, she had perfectly overheard their conversation. The chemistry happening between the friends was much more interesting than some circus performance with trained animals.
The girls left the circus performance, and the inspection left the city a day later.
The relationship between Azula and Ty Lee changed sharply. It was practically unnoticeable and fit too well into the idea of a strong friendship between best friends, but for Mai, everything was obvious. Knowing both girls since childhood, not a single change in the interactions between her friends escaped her attention: warmth, tenderness, trust, the seeking and providing of protection and support, all this and much more was noticed by the girl's golden gaze. However, she did not want to bother them with her questions; if they wanted to, they would tell her themselves and confide in her about everything necessary. Having come to these conclusions, the most phlegmatic girl in the world continued to accompany the princess on her journey. For all the other soldiers, the secret lovers' disguise was too good. Therefore, no one but Mai guessed about the changes that had occurred among the girls in the squad, and all the changes and displays of warmth and care were attributed to simple friendship by the onlookers.
The squad continued its journey, moving slower than usual and still lingering for an extra day or two in the inspected cities. Hope still flickered in the girls' hearts.
City after city, fortress after fortress, the princess conducted inspections until she reached the sea, where her ship was. More than a month had passed since Yoaru's disappearance, but he still had not returned. The first thing Azula did was take a hot bath, wanting to wash off the accumulated dirt and fatigue and relax after the long journey. The girl did not give the order to set sail. The reason was Ty Lee, who asked to wait another day or two. She saw no reason to refuse, but she was not planning to linger in the colonies for long, having already resigned herself to the worst fears for half a month.
Relaxing in the hot water, the girl completely unwound.
"Azula," — the princess unexpectedly heard a familiar voice, but her reflexes forced her to act: the girl instantly jumped up, ready to attack.
— Yoaru? — the maiden said in surprise, looking at the man's blue and ghostly figure, who froze in the air right in front of her.
"Hello, long time no see," — the spirit continued to speak, as if only a day, not a month, had passed since their last meeting. Such behavior greatly offended the girl, who had worried about him all these days and nights.
— You could have chosen a more suitable time to appear; I almost shot fire, — Azula said discontentedly, returning to the water.
"I could have. But I could not think of anything better, and I had other things on my mind," — the spirit shrugged, making the girl frown even more with boiling anger. But Azula was not going to give in to her emotions.
— Hmm… I suppose you did not just arrive on the ship? — she guessed, pressing the interlocutor with an intense gaze.
"No, I arrived on your ship about three days ago," — Yoaru replied with a smile, as if he did not notice the girl's mood.
— I had forgotten how much you can annoy me. I suppose you had very compelling reasons for being gone all this time, — Azula got straight to the point, not wanting to beat around the bush.
"More compelling than anywhere else. Should I tell you here and now, or shall we wait until evening?"
— I just got into the water, and we have enough time. You can start your story.
"As you wish…"