Burns And Scars❤️‍🔥

Azula always looked different when meditating. Far more relaxed and much more content. He decided he kind of liked her that way. She was actually really beautiful when she was at peace.

And that's exactly where they were again today. Aang insisted that Azula mediated with him followed by them sitting together, no more than about 8 inches from the other, both wanting to look into the others' eyes, but always managing to avoid each other's eyes just long enough.
Expect this time.

This time there was no point in hiding her stares since they were like this on purpose. Azula was typically quiet and completely silent during their time meditating together. She would sit up perfectly straight and still, no less for a Princess, (Technically ex-Princess? Since she left the royal family to focus on herself) and they would sit facing the other while meditating for upwards to around half an hour. Sometimes longer.

Azula had gotten better at being patient and was much less quick to anger. Aang can remember when he first asked her to try meditation and Azula scoffed at him, saying she wouldn't be caught dead on the dirty floor wasting time doing nothing. That was nearly two decades ago. Now Aang can't help but almost laugh, amused at how much Azula has changed since then, and at how much he has changed because he met her.

She hadn't made a habit of fighting him ever since or even talking to him while they meditated. But this day was different. Today she starred for a bit longer as if she wanted to say something, yet couldn't find the right words to explain all she was thinking. It was rare to see the Princess of the Fire Nation at a loss for words, so Aang took the liberty of speaking up first. He decided then to ask her if she would like to see 'it' up close, — both of them knowing exactly what 'it' was already.

At first, she gave him a blank, almost puzzled look. Azula always had the best poker face but Aang had gotten much better at reading her true emotions and knew she was just trying to avoid appearing so shocked and embarrassed at how he figured out what she was thinking. 'Has the Avatar always been this nosy or is he a mind-reader?'  To Aang's delight, however, she accepted his often, but only after he lightly teased her by adding, "We don't have to if you're nervous." which she of course denied, now having to prove him wrong.

And so now, after a moment of awkwardness from both parties, there they sat. Aang shirtless with his back to her face. She could see all of it. She could see the damage she caused all those years ago.

Back then she was a cold, cunning, ruthless, — "monster....."

But now, at this moment they were sharing, she was more gentle, more respectful, and a lot kinder. Azula could be kind around Aang, she learned how to be from him after all.

And part of accepting all the lessons she learned from Aang was also having to address the fact that they were once enemies, that she did scar him, that she was a bad person, that she is sorry.
Little does she know, Aang understands this already without her having to speak it. He expects that's why Azula was starring a bit longer than she usually would. He has no problem with spreading the teachings of the Air Nomads to anyone who's open to learning and respecting his culture, and that includes giving Azula a chance too. Aang had accepted what happened between them by now and was comfortable enough to teach Azusa how to medicate to open her Chakras. After all  Guru Pathik did once tell him, "Maybe one day you will be a guru too." and Aang took that to heart.

What he doesn't expect is to feel her placing a finger on his back scar. Not that he can feel on his scar, he can only sense a light pressure on that part of his back, it was the surprise that got him. Aang wasn't at all excepting this, to feel Azula's touch.