Work Text:
Azula tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. She pushed off the covers, she pulled them over her, she stuck one foot out from underneath them, she tucked the blankets under her heels and she tried to sleep on her stomach. Nothing was working.
At first Ty Lee tried to ignore it, hoping Azula would just fall asleep, but eventually she decided to intervene.
“What’s wrong ‘Zula,” she asked, turning to face her girlfriend and rubbing her ear in the way she knew was soothing.
Azula flopped onto her side and looked at Ty Lee.
“Did I wake you up,” she asked.
“No,” Ty Lee said. “I just want to know what’s bothering you.”
“Nothing,” Azula said quickly.
“Nothing doesn’t cause someone to drill into the bed,” Ty Lee said, switching from rubbing Azula’s ear to running her thumb along her cheek.
“I don’t know,” Azula said, averting eye contact with her.
“Just restless?”
Azula nodded.
“Don’t worry about me,” Azula said, grabbing Ty Lee’s hand and kissing it gently. “Go back to sleep.”
“Don’t consider it worrying,” Ty Lee said. “I am just a little concerned that my beautiful, amazing, perfect girlfriend can’t sleep.”
In that moment Azula had never been happier for darkness because it prevented Ty Lee from seeing her blush.
Ty Lee cracked a soft smile and pulled Azula’s head in to kiss her on the forehead, smiling a little wider when she felt how warm it was from Azula’s embarrassment at the compliments.
“It’s just that, you always worry about me,” Ty Lee said, running her fingers through Azula’s hair. “Because you’re kind, and caring and empathetic and sweet.”
Azula blushed harder than she thought was possible.
“W-why,” she stuttered, wishing she could bury her head into her pillow.
“Because I love you so much,” Ty Lee said. “You’re my angel, you’re the light of my life, you’re seriously the best person I know.”
Azula wrapped her arms around Ty Lee’s torso and pulled her against her, hugging her tightly and kissing her shoulder.
Although she couldn’t say anything the euphoria from the praise was bubbling up in her chest.
“You know what else you are?” Ty Lee asked, rubbing Azula’s back.
“What,” Azula mumbled into her chest.
“You’re funny,” she said tapping her finger against Azula’s back. “You’re witty, and you’re giving, and you always go out of your way to make me happy,” she added, tapping each new thing into Azula’s back.
“I love you for more reasons than I have words to say,” Ty Lee said.
Azula squeezed her tighter.
“I love you so much Ty,” she said.
Ty Lee ran her hands along Azula’s face and pulled it out of her neck where she had tucked it so that they could make eye contact.
“You work harder than anyone I’ve ever met. You put in 110% into any task you undertake. You’re willing to put the needs of your job, or of me, above your own personal needs,” Ty Lee said, pressing her forehead against Azula.
“Every day you do all of that and you get far too little acknowledgement,” she continued.
“You don’t-”
“Hush,” Ty Lee said, pressing her finger to Azula’s lips. “Let me talk.”
Azula nodded quietly.
“‘Zula, you’re the most amazing, interesting, and exciting person I’ve ever had the pleasure of encountering. You have the unique ability out of everyone in the whole world to constantly make me smile and feel loved. Each day I wake up and I’m excited to see you and spend time with you. Every night, I’m excited to sleep with you, in both senses of the word.”
At the last comment both girls giggled.
“Not to mention your unparalleled beauty,” Ty Lee said.
“N-”
“Stop talking,” Ty Lee commanded, firmer this time. “Everything about you is perfect. Your hair, your skin, your eyes, your lips,” she said, tracing her fingertips over each thing she mentioned.
“I know you put a lot of work into your appearance and I wanted to tell you that you look flawless.”
“Thank you,” Azula whispered.
Ty Lee tilted her head forward and kissed her gently.
“You have my whole heart baby, now and forever,” Ty Lee said.
“You have mine too,” Azula replied.
“Never forget that in my eyes you are simply the best, most amazing person in the world,” Ty Lee said.
Azula took a deep breath and exhaled. All of her troubling negative thoughts had disappeared, replaced by the waves of praise from her girlfriend.
Ty Lee ran her fingers along the soft, peaceful smile that played on Azula’s lips.
“How are you feeling now, my love,” she asked.
“I think I’m ready to go to sleep,” Azula said.
“Good,” Ty Lee replied, kissing her forehead, her nose and her lips.
“Are you uncomfortable,” Azula asked, just then noticing how she was still wrapped around Ty Lee.
“I’m so comfortable,” Ty Lee said. She reached a hand around to the back of Azula’s head and pulled it against her chest.
“Goodnight Ty, I love you,” Azula murmured, already drifting off as Ty Lee played with her hair.
“I love you so much ‘Zula.”
Ty Lee waited a few minutes and was pleased to feel Azula’s breathing even out before she allowed herself to close her eyes and follow her girlfriend into slumber.