Chapter Text
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Azula’s eyes peel open as she hears her phone ringing.
Ugh.
Azula pats the bed to find her phone and answers the call.
“Hello?”
A cheery voice replies on the other side of the phone, “Good morning, Azula! How’d you sleep?”
Azula responds sleepily, “Good, Kya, thanks for asking.”
“Great!”
Kya clears her throat and turns the conversation to a more serious degree.
“You probably know why I'm calling. Iroh let me know that you went out with Kuzon the other day. Did everything go okay? I want to make sure you weren’t hurt.”
Azula blows out a puff of air and says, “Yes, I’m sure he told you, and I’m talking to you on the phone right now, so you can make the assumption that I am safe.”
Kya presses her lips together and takes a deep breath.
“I’m not just talking about your physical safety. Are you mentally and emotionally safe? Was everything safe and consensual?”
Anger flares through Azula as she rushes to respond.
“Yes! I am fine. Everything was consensual. I am not a child, I don’t need to be checked up on every time I go do something.”
Kya takes another deep breath and attempts to regulate the conversation and Azula simultaneously.
“I apologize. I wasn’t trying to make you feel like every step you take has to be monitored. I just wanted to make sure you were safe and in good spirits. I know you’re capable of taking care of yourself.” Kya amends softly.
A tiny bit of guilt blooms and spreads through Azula's chest as she hears Kya’s words.
“Thank you. Is there anything else you feel you have to discuss?”
“Are you going to attend school today?” Kya inquires, thankful that the tension has dissolved.
“Yes, I will be attending school and volleyball practice today.”
Kya perks up at Azula’s words.
“That’s good! I know you’re excited to get back to everything.”
Azula nods her head subconsciously as she responds, “Yes. I’m ready to get back to my normal routine.”
“Alright, I’ll leave you to your morning. Have a good day, okay?”
“Yes, I will have a good day. Goodbye.”
Before Kya can say goodbye, Azula hangs up. The breath Kya had been holding was subconsciously released after the phone call ended.
Kya pulls herself out of her chair and walks into the kitchen.
Sokka, Kanna, Katara, and Hakoda all turn their heads towards her as she walks into the room.
“Are you okay, Mom?” Katara asks worriedly as he sees his mom’s tired, worn-out face.
Kya immediately paints a smile on her face as she responds.
“Of course, sweetly! Just a little tired. Didn’t get much rest last night.”
Katara eyes her wearily as he mother sits down at the table.
Sokka, in an attempt to lighten up the mood, holds a full plate in front of his mother’s face.
“I made your plate for you!” he explains with a bright smile.
Gratefully, Kya takes the plate and thanks her child.
Kanna looks at the clock and tells the kids that they should get going so as not to be late.
Katara and Sokka scramble out of the house and hurry to school. As the door shuts behind them, a heavy silence settles in the air. As twenty minutes pass by, the only sounds heard are the sound of washing dishes and the scraping of forks on plates.
“I think you should take a break, Kya.”
Kya quickly glances at her husband, then back to her plate.
“I’m okay, ‘Koda. I’m grateful for your concern.”
“I’m serious, Kya, this is draining y-”
“This is my life’s work and passion. I’m not going to give up on my kids because it’s a little hard for me. If it’s hard for me, imagine how hard it is for them. I don’t tell you to quit your job, so don’t tell me to quit mine. You do your job, and I’ll do mine.” Kya responds as she gets up, dumps her plate, and continues getting ready for work.
Silence once again takes over the house as Hakoda finishes eating and Kanna finishes the dishes.
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“You got your car back?” Ty Lee says as Azula gets out of her car.
“Yes, I was given the keys this morning,” Azula responds triumphantly.
“How?” Mai says as she approaches Azula’s car.
“Well, when you’re persistent, some people just can’t help but break down.” Azula says with a sharp smile.
Mai rolls her eyes and asks for clarification on what was previously told to her.
Azula’s ponytail flops from one shoulder to the other as Azula whispers smugly, “Iroh and Kya know about Kuzon and are allowing me to see him!”
Ty Lee’s jaw slacks as Mai’s eyebrows scrunch together in unison.
“Wow.”
“I don’t know why you guys are so surprised. I am a people person after all, and extremely persuasive.” Azula says, looking extremely pleased with herself.
“I’m not surprised at the fact that you wore them down about Kuzon. That’s to be expected. That’s how you are. You do what you want and don’t care about anybody else’s feelings.”
Azula whips her head to fully face Mai, and Ty Lee stares at her with anxiety.
I knew she was gonna be pissed after hearing that. Ty Lee thinks.
“What surprises me, even though it shouldn’t, is the fact that you’re more scared of your family knowing about us than of your family knowing you’re dating a pedophile,” Mai says in a low, fury-filled tone.
“That’s not the same thing, and you know it-”
Mai cuts Azula off with an eyeroll and a mirthless laugh.
“Look I don’t want to hear about how it’s not the same thing. At this point, I don’t care. I don’t know why I let you do this to me. Your brother may not have been attracted to me, but he always treated me well. You’re not attracted to Kuzon at all and treat him like he’s a god.”
Mai continues not allowing anyone to stop her.
“And I don’t even know why I’m complaining. I should’ve known you were going to treat me like shit because you don’t know how it feels to not be treated like shit in a relationship. You allow every man to treat you like shit. That’s what you like. I should start treating you like shit and maybe I’d get more respect from you. Maybe I should slap you around and call you a whore. If I did that, you’d want to tell everyone we’re together.”
Azula stares stunned at her friend.
“Mai-”
“Ty, whatever you’re going to say, just…just don’t.” Mai requests exasperatedly.
What was going to come out of Ty Lee’s mouth dies as soon as she hears her friend's desperation. Ty Lee steals a quick glance at her friend, who is standing as still as stone.
“Also, what is Kuzon going to think about this? You think he’s going to be okay with your social worker, who’s a mandated reporter, and your uncle, who’s your guardian, knowing that he, a distinguished professor, is dating and fucking an underage girl. He’ll fucking kill you, but that probably doesn’t bother you. You love that shit.”
The morning bell rings, signifying that it’s time to go to the first classes of the day. The girls walk in awkward silence together. Ty Lee twirls her braid around her finger, wondering how to keep everything together.