Ty Lee had been absent most of the day much to Azula's worry. She'd expected to see the acrobat out and about since they'd parted ways earlier but she hadn't caught a trace of the pink girl since.
Now, it was getting late and the sun had begun to set on the horizon casting shadows in the courtyard. As everyone took their places at the table, Azula noted that Ty Lee was last to arrive. She seemed rather timid in demeanor and refused to lift her head more than a few centimeters to acknowledge anyone. The acrobat kept quiet through the evening seeming to vanish in plain sight amongst her family, but she would never vanish for Azula. If anything, her presence was much more noticeable.
Holding her tongue, Azula waited to say anything to the acrobat until everyone began to disperse to the living room. It was then that she noticed the way Ty Lee was eating, with small, ginger, and painful looking bites.
Speculation and assumptions filled the princess' head, but she refrained from bringing them up as she slid into the seat beside Ty Lee's. "Did you have an adventure for me?"
"No," the acrobat muttered, hands stilling almost nervously on the table. She hesitantly turned to look at Azula and it was then that the princess noticed the rather nasty split lip Ty Lee had acquired.
"What happened?" Azula worried.
"Planter box," Ty Lee sighed. "I slipped on one of my handstands and caught the corner."
"Right," Azula nodded, but she didn't believe it. Sure, the lie made sense, but the acrobat's behavior indicated a million other truths that were being hidden. "Well, it's always best to be careful."
"I know," Ty Lee tried for a smile only to wince. "I can't even smile. Do you know how sad that is?"
"Here," Azula smirked, before giving a small but proper smile. "I did it for you."
"Mm," Ty Lee's expression softened and her shoulders became straighter. She seemed to let her guard down long enough for Azula to take her hand and give it a firm squeeze. By the slight shift in Ty Lee's expression, Azula understood that her message had been conveyed. She knew what the cause of the split lip was, but it wasn't the time nor place to discuss such things.
"Ty Lee, come on!" Tom Tom called, "we're doing charades and I called dibs on you!"
"Oooh, someone's popular," Azula mused, getting to her feet and pulling Ty Lee up with her.
"Well, I am pretty good-not to brag," the acrobat admitted, giving a small shoulder shrug.
— — —
"Bear- moose! Uhm! Owl Cat! Elephant toad?" Zuko cried out, trying desperately to figure out what the hell Kiyi was mimicking.
"It's a guppy worm," Mai noted, as Kiyi exploded with excitement.
"Yes! Mai, you're the love of my life!" Kiyi grinned, jumping up and down.
"Ow," Zuko winced, feigning offense as Kiyi gave Mai a loud hi-five. The sound nearly echoed down the hallways, but neither girl flinched much to Azula's surprise. She was certain their hands would be bright red.
"Your turn," Tom Tom reminded, offering Azula the small bowl with rolled pieces of parchment.
"I don't...I don't think that's a good idea. I'm not any good at this," Azula replied, giving him a rather apologetic look.
"Alright, if you say so," Tom Tom smiled, scanning the room for his next victim.
"What about our guests?" Ikem suggested.
"Good idea," Tom Tom agreed, "any takers?"
Azula's attention shifted from the game being played back to where Ty Lee sat, positioned strategically beside Ikem. The situation was intriguing, but there must have been some sense of security she felt with him. That was fine with Azula, she trusted him. He was an honest man with a good heart and a superior moral compass. Besides, Ty Lee was a good judge of character.
But Azula could tell that the acrobat's mind was somewhere else entirely. The slight glaze over her eyes, the small parting of her lips, the long slow breathes, and the way her body remained still were all indicators that Ty Lee's entire conscious being was wrapped up elsewhere. In some thought or world that belonged entirely to her.
"Well, I'll be going to bed," Ty Lee's father interrupted Azula's thoughts, as he clambered awkwardly to his feet. It wasn't hard to see that he'd been at the bottle not long ago.
What possessed her, Azula wasn't sure, but she too stood causing the game to come to a screeching halt. "May I see your hand?"
"What-What kind of question is that?" He stammered, instinctively going to cover his knuckles.
"Nothing, I just noticed a ring of yours and it looked rather interesting," Azula lied, even adding a tiny shrug to the end of her sentence.
"Oh, well, yes," he smiled nervously as Azula approached, her eyes never leaving the ruby red ring on his finger. She was aware that everyone was watching their exchange, but none of that mattered. She'd put him on the spot now.
"Your knuckles are bruised," Azula frowned, speaking just loud enough for the others to hear, "how did you come upon such an injury?"
"Well, I don't think that's any of your business," he smiled, but his eyes were full of venom.
"Really?" Azula arched a brow. "See I just had a theory. A suspicion really... my dearest friend has suffered a rather painful split lip-"
"Be careful with what you're about to accuse me of," he warned, his demeanor quickly shifting into one of anger and hostility.
"Azula," Ty Lee muttered, her voice nervous and her eyes full of worry.
"Oh hush," he snapped, "don't put your two cents in."
"I'm sorry," Ikem frowned, slowly putting the pieces together, "but what exactly is going on?"
"I showed you my hand," Ty Lee's father glowered, ignoring Ikem and fixing his full fury upon Azula, "so why don't you show me yours?"
"I beg your pardon?" Azula asked, her glare matching his own.
Like a snake, the man lashed out capturing Azula by the wrist, and with nimble fingers that only a proper magician had (which was his profession) he slipped the wrist guard free, pushed up her sleeve, and exposed the gnarled scar across her arm.
"I suppose we're both out with our secrets now, aren't we?"
"In that case," Azula sneered, her hands smoldering, and her pleasantries forgotten, "stay away from my partner."
"Would you both please just...not make a scene right now?" Ty Lee asked, having emerged from her safe spot next to Ikem to stand between Azula and her father.
"Step aside, we have business to settle," he growled, but Azula was already stepping back. Ty Lee had already made her promise not to hurt the insolent man and Azula would uphold that promise even if it killed her.
"No," Ty Lee replied.
"What?"
"I said no," the acrobat insisted, her eyes full of a fire that swiftly vanished as her father raised his fist to strike. The punch never landed.
"Get out of my palace," Zuko hissed, "now."
"But-the assa-"
"The assassins can have you," Zuko snarled, practically throwing Ty Lee's father towards the door. "You will not come into my house and attack my family. Yours may stay if they wish, but you, Sir, have overstayed your welcome. And don't you ever lay a hand on my sister or her partner ever again or so help me I will call upon the fires of heaven themselves to smite you!"
"Perhaps, young Fire Lord, your father had the right idea of purging this nation of its unholy scum like your sister," the man sputtered, his face red with anger.
His face became even redder as Ikem pounced. A scuffle broke out between the two adults, before Ikem slammed him into a wall nearly knocking Ty Lee's father senseless while hissing a rather terrifying threat. "If you stay, I wouldn't fall asleep if I were you. People like me get bored at night."
Eyes wide as Ikem let him go, Ty Lee's father gave one last look to his family before silence settled over the room like a blanket, and he drunkenly stumbled out of the door.
"Well, nothing is ever drama free here is it?" Mai's mother asked, breaking the silence rather suddenly.
"Of course not," Mai snorted, "has it ever been?"
"Are you alright?" Azula whispered, turning her attention back to Ty Lee. "I'm sorry I made a scene. I couldn't help myself."
"It's fine," the acrobat shook her head, but she looked nervously to the rest of her family, all of whom had varying reactions. "I guess they kind of know about us now."
"Maybe," Azula replied, "but I won't let them hurt you. I'm sorry I wasn't there the first time it happened."
"It was my fault really. He was, he was saying such horrible things about you and I got angry and-"
"Father's shouldn't hit their daughters," Azula spoke firmly, "no matter what."
Nodding, the acrobat, spared her family another glance before fleeing to her room. She didn't want to look at them. She wasn't prepared for what they might do or say.
Meanwhile, Ursa did her best to calm Ikem down as he paced about angrily. "In my house? I can't believe it! I should have turned him into a fleshy soup! The nerve!"
"Ikem, darling, it's okay-"
"I'll hit him with you Daddy!" Kiyi promised, all while Ty Lee's remaining family vanished from sight. Soon, it was just Zuko and Azula standing in an empty room, both attempting to process all that had just happened.
"Thank you," Azula sighed, looking rather intently at her brother, "for protecting her. I know you're not happy that we-"
"No," Zuko shook his head, "no don't-don't say that. I'm not, I'm not upset that you're together. I just...it's hard for me."
"Because of what father did?" Azula asked.
"Yes, but also because...well, she's taking you away from me. I know it sounds stupid, but I'm your big brother. I-I should be there to make you laugh and smile and I'm not. I never have been. Even when I try my hardest to do better. You've never belonged to anyone before and to see someone have such an effect on you, to see you change so much because of them, it troubles me. I don't want you to lose yourself again. Now, I know, it's not rational, any of this, but I can't help it. It hurt that you kept something so important from me for so long. And I know I hurt you by exposing your relationship the way I did. I'm sorry for that. I just-I don't know how to handle this," Zuko admitted, his expression vulnerable and honest.
"Handle what?"
"Your growing up," Zuko muttered, a light blush decorating his cheeks. "You're not little anymore, you don't need to be taken care of, you can make your own decisions, and I-i guess it's just strange? Because for so long you needed me. Not her. Me. And it's selfish to say but I hate that you don't need me anymore. Especially because the times when you did need me, you were suffering. And, Sozin knows, I shouldn't be jealous because of your happiness but things were almost simpler then."
"I'm never going to not need you," Azula promised, punching his shoulder lightly, "you're my big brother. Besides, I needed you today, and I'll need you again some other day."
Zuko smiled faintly, and although Azula grumbled about it, she let him hug her. Some part of her found it nice, the other found it strange, and even foreign.
"Awe! Are we having a sibling hug?" Kiyi asked, bounding over to the two siblings and pulling them into a hug of her own.
"Kiyi," Zuko snorted, "you have impeccable timing."
"I know," Kiyi grinned, "it's a talent."
— — —
"Will you stay in here tonight?" Ty Lee asked, as Azula entered the acrobat's room.
"What about your sist-"
"I'll sleep on the floor. It's not a problem," Ty Woo assured.
"Then I suppose I can," the princess nodded. "I'll be back shortly."
After getting ready for bed, Azula ventured back to Ty Lee's room where Ty Woo was already sound asleep on the floor. Climbing into bed beside the acrobat, Azula knew how upset Ty Lee really was by how quickly she latched onto the princess.
"I think I understand you," Ty Lee whispered, her voice cracking ever so slightly. She never had to elaborate because Azula knew. She knew that Ty Lee felt her own pain. What it was like to try so hard to please a man who hurt you in return. What it was like to feel unwanted by your own family. How much it hurt to be abused by someone whose only job was to love you unconditionally. How demeaning it was emotionally and mentally. "I understand now."
Azula's eyes softened as she held Ty Lee's gaze,  "I wish, more than anything, that you didn't."