Work Text:
Azula had always been an avid reader, perhaps because at certain moments in her life, books had been her refuge. But over time, reading had become an unbreakable routine. She read everything: from dense philosophical essays to the most trivial romance novels. She would say that the only way to judge something was to experience it herself, even if she often regretted it afterward. That was how her mind worked: everything had to be explored, understood, even if she later despised it.
Her favorite time to read was just before bed, when the world sank into silence and no one dared to interrupt her. Even though she now shared her bed with Katara she hadn’t abandoned her habit. In fact, the waterbender had adopted the habit as well, though her reading choices were usually much more selective.
That night, however, Katara hadn’t even opened her book. She had spent the day assisting in a complicated birth that had dragged on for endless hours. Exhausted, she barely had the strength to put on her pajamas before falling into a deep sleep. Azula, who had helped her undress, watched as her girlfriend sank into slumber the moment her head hit the pillow. The flickering candlelight didn’t seem to bother her, so Azula took advantage of the calm to resume her reading.
This time, she was reading an essay about the complexities of human relationships in society. It was a practical text, full of advice on how to win others’ favor or impose respect through fear. But what truly captured her attention was a section dedicated to relationships with those one cared about, with a sentence that resonated deep within her:
"It is important to tell the people you love 'I love you,' to convey that you care."
Azula rested the book on her lap, remaining still for a moment. She glanced at Katara, who slept peacefully beside her. This woman was one of the most important people in her life, perhaps the most important. And yet, she had never said those words directly to her. She had never told her “I love you” explicitly.
She carefully closed the book and placed it on the nightstand, her mind still turning over the question: "Why have I never said it?"
She settled into bed, her mind buzzing with a new resolve. "It’s not that hard," she thought to herself. "Tomorrow... tomorrow, I’ll tell her."
In that moment, Katara stirred in her sleep, instinctively moving closer to her, wrapping her arms around her as if seeking comfort. The firebender gently embraced her, sliding her arm behind her and planting a soft kiss on her hair. The warmth of the gesture brought a slight smile to her face.
“She needs to know,” Azula thought, as the weight of exhaustion slowly enveloped her.
And so, with her mind preoccupied with how she would confess her feelings, the Fire Nation Princess drifted off to sleep.
Azula woke to the first rays of sunlight gently brushing her face, but soon realized she could barely move. Katara, still deep in sleep, was holding her tightly, her arms firmly wrapped around the firebender’s waist.
“No…” Katara mumbled, half asleep, as if sensing her girlfriend’s attempt to free herself.
Azula sighed, smiling with a mix of resignation and tenderness. “I need to go train,” she whispered softly, more to herself than expecting a response.
“No,” Katara repeated, her tone firmer but still sleepy, tightening her hold and pulling the princess even closer.
Azula remained still for a moment. She looked at her girlfriend, her peaceful expression as she half-slept, the words she read last night still echoing in her mind: "It is important to tell the people you love 'I love you,' to convey that you care."
“Katara, I…” she began in a murmur, summoning the courage.
But before she could continue, Katara, still with her eyes closed, interrupted with a lazy smile: “Now you’re going to stay here, sleep a little longer… and in a few hours, we’ll wake up together. Even if you miss training for one day, it’s okay.” Katara snuggled closer “I want to keep sleeping with you.”
But Azula can’t say no to Katara, specially when her request is to be together for a little longer.
“Alright,” Azula whispered, allowing Katara’s embrace to envelop her. Without saying anything more, she closed her eyes again, letting herself savor the peace of the moment. There was something deeply comforting about being the person Katara wanted to hold and protect, even in her dreams.
Later, she promised herself, would be the time for those words.
They both got up late that day. No one in the capital would dare interrupt Azula’s sleep, and Azula, for her part, had no intention of waking Katara. The result was that the Fire Nation Princess missed several meetings, but the price seemed insignificant for the chance to be able to make her girlfriend happy. The Fire Nation can wait.
“What do you plan to do today?” Katara asked with a smile, passing her girlfriend a basket of fresh fruit.
Azula picked up an apple and began peeling it with precision. “Probably read the meeting reports… Though I doubt Mai had any trouble handling them.”
Once she finished peeling the apple, she began cutting it into small pieces
“And you?” she asked as her hands continued working.
“I’m going to check on the progress of the renovations,” Katara replied. She was about to open a waterbending school in the Fire Nation capital, something that had been in growing demand after the war, especially since people knew Katara was living there.
Azula, with a casual gesture, handed Katara the sliced apple pieces before picking a different fruit for herself. “Want me to come with you?”
Katara smiled immediately. “The last time, you got upset because they were taking too long with something you said was pretty simple,”
Azula pursed her lips in a slight pout as she finished peeling her own fruit while Katara was eating hers. “I’m just saying, I’ve read about more efficient methods. It doesn’t make sense for something that simple to take so long.”
Katara, unable to suppress a smile at her girlfriend’s adorable annoyance, leaned over to plant a soft kiss on her cheek. “Of course you did, bookworm.”
Azula felt the warmth of the kiss and, encouraged by the affectionate words, decided that this was the moment. She took a deep breath, finally ready to say it. “Katara, I…”
But just then, the door burst open, cutting off her attempt. One of the servants entered with a tense expression. “Master Katara, it’s an emergency.”
Katara didn’t need to hear more. She immediately stood up with speed and urgency. She quickly grabbed the last piece of apple Azula had cut for her, swallowing it without barely chewing. “I’m on my way.”
Before Azula could say anything else, Katara leaned in, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. And then, like a whirlwind, she rushed out with the servant, leaving the firebender alone in the dining room, frustrated by yet another failed attempt to express her feelings with words.
Azula sighed, watching the door close behind Katara. She leaned back in her chair, absentmindedly playing with the fruit in her hands. “Maybe later…”
Azula twirled the pen between her fingers. Hours had passed since Mai had brought her some important documents to sign, but the firebender hadn’t managed to focus for even a moment. Her thoughts spiraled endlessly, always circling back to the same point: the agonizing idea that Katara might leave her because of her inability to say those three simple but crucial words: ‘I love you.’ Even though there were no real signs that Katara was planning to leave, Azula’s mind, always conditioned to expect the worst, couldn’t stop torturing her with that possibility.
The office door swung open without warning, and the Fire Lady entered with her usual air of boredom. Mai eyed her with a hint of impatience in her tone.
“Care to explain why you’re taking so long? What’s wrong with you?” she asked, closing the door behind her.
Azula adjusted in her chair, trying to appear indifferent. “Me? Nothing. I just want to read these documents carefully before signing them.”
Mai skeptically raised an eyebrow. “Azula, I’ve seen you read books heavier than Avatar’s giant statue in less time. You’re not fooling me.”
The firebender knew there was no point in pretending with her. Mai was one of the few people who could read her like an open book. Sighing, she accepted the inevitable defeat. “I haven’t told Katara I love her.”
Mai observed her in silence for a moment, then casually asked, “Are you going to break up with her?”
Azula stared at her wide-eyed, horrified by the idea. “What? Of course not!”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Azula looked away. “I’m worried she’ll leave me because of it… because I haven’t told her those three words.”
Mai sighed, a mix of understanding and frustration in her voice. “Azula, if Katara was going to leave you over something like that, she would’ve done it by now.”
“Thanks a lot,” Azula replied sarcastically, twirling the pen in her fingers again.
“Listen to what I’m saying, princess,” Mai continued. “You’ve been together for months. Katara already knows how you are.”
Azula stared at her, unsure where the conversation was going. “And what exactly am I like, according to you?”
Mai let out a small sigh of exasperation. “A mess when it comes to talking about your feelings.”
The firebender frowned slightly offended, “That’s not true.”
“Debating that would be Ty Lee’s territory, and frankly, I don’t have the patience for it,” Mai said, shaking her head. “Look, for some reason Katara loves you. She’s been living here with you, hasn’t she?”
“For a few months, until we move to the Southern Water Tribe,” Azula corrected, as if that minimized Katara’s commitment.
Mai took a deep breath, trying to keep her frustration in check. “Katara’s living here, Azula. She’s setting up a waterbending school in the capital. Clearly, she has no plans to leave you.”
The princess seemed to mull over those words, but doubt was still written across her face, prompting Mai to roll her eyes, clearly exasperated by her friend’s stubbornness.
“You need to tell her how you feel,” Mai continued, with just enough patience. “But before that happens, you need to sign these documents and hand them to me because I’m not letting you leave here without finishing your work.”
Mai sat on the edge of the desk, crossing her arms. “Besides, I hear Katara’s already back at the palace. If I were you, I’d hurry.”
Azula looked at the documents with resignation and finally began to do her work, though her mind remained trapped in the dilemma.
Mai had lied—Katara still hadn’t arrived, not even in time for dinner, so Azula sat on the bed in their bedroom, staring at the door, anxiously waiting for her girlfriend to appear, fearing that her worst thoughts might become reality.
As if her thoughts had summoned her, the door creaked open. Katara appeared, chewing on something, clearly having passed through the kitchen before coming to the room. When her eyes landed on Azula, she immediately noticed the tension on her face.
"Did something happen?" Katara asked, visibly concerned.
"We need to talk."
The firebender, still keeping her eyes on her girlfriend, motioned with a tap on the bed for Katara to sit beside her. Though uneasy, Katara obeyed, taking a seat but never stopping her worried gaze. "Azula, what's going on?"
The firebender took a deep breath,"I need to tell you something."
Katara frowned, her worry growing as Azula took another deep breath, visibly nervous. "Katara, I..." she began, her voice faltering for a moment before she finally let it out. "I love you."
Silence fell over the room, so thick it seemed to stop time. Katara stared at Azula, perplexed, while the firebender watched her uncertainly, waiting for her reaction. Then, unexpectedly, a smile crept across Katara's face, which quickly turned into laughter.
"What the...?" Azula began, feeling disoriented.
Katara raised a hand, signaling her to wait as she tried to contain her laughter. "You're such a dork," she said, wiping away a tear that had escaped from laughing.
Azula stared at her with a mixture of disbelief and confusion. “Wait, what?”
Katara regained her composure, still smiling. "I know you love me, Azula. There was no need for all the drama. I honestly thought you were going to break up with me."
"What do you mean, you know I love you? I’ve never said it before!"
Katara leaned in, gently taking Azula’s face in her hands, and gave her a tender kiss. "I don’t need you to say it. Your actions say it all."
Azula frowned, still trying to understand. "What do you mean by my actions?"
Katara laughed softly, caressing her cheek. "Every time I ask for something, you do it without hesitation. You take care of me every day, through the things you do... like peeling fruit for me at breakfast and cutting it into small pieces, even though you don’t have to."
Azula felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. “Because you always peel too much and waste a lot of fruit.”
Ignoring her comment, Katara wrapped her arms around Azula’s shoulders, hugging her affectionately. "I’ve seen you read all the books about Water Tribe customs. You work hard to understand my culture, to help with my tribe’s efforts. That speaks louder than words ever could."
Azula remained silent for a moment, reflecting on what Katara had said.
Katara smiled, stroking her hair. "Azula, even if you don’t say it directly because expressing your feelings in words isn’t your thing, you show me every day that you love me. You make me feel loved."
"So you don’t need to hear it then?" Azula asked, her voice softer now, almost vulnerable.
"I love hearing it, but if it’s hard for you to say, I just want you to know there are other ways to show it and you do it all the time."
Azula lowered her gaze, pondering Katara's words, until her girlfriend gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look her in the eyes. "I love you too," Katara said with a warm smile. "Thank you for saying it."
"I want to say it more often," Azula replied, this time with quiet determination.
Katara nodded, smiling even wider. "Little by little. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere, okay?"
Azula nodded at Katara’s words. Her girlfriend wasn’t going anywhere, and knowing that, all the tension disappeared from her shoulders.
Katara stood up energetically, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Well, now that we’ve cleared up the whole words' thing... what better way to show me how much you love me than with a nice massage?"
"Seriously?" Azula raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden shift in the conversation.
Katara leaned down and gave her a soft kiss before lying back on the bed. "Go ahead," she said with a playful smile.
Azula, though she pretended to sigh in exasperation, couldn’t help but smile. Instead of saying "I love you" again, she warmed the palms of her hands and began massaging Katara, making sure every movement expressed what words still struggled to convey as easily.