The Unrivalled Expert in Human Nature

Chapter 6

"Listen, Wen, I'm sorry they-" If there was any way she could will them into showing up she would have.

"Something must have happened... They must have run into trouble. They'd never..." he still stared into the water where his ship was supposed to be.

Denial. She was familiar with that as well.

"That's what they do... But you're not alone at least." after she said that he squeezed her hand back, but he still didn't look away from the water.

"I just don't understand why."

"You don't need them, you'll get a new ship. I'll help, the two of us are unstoppable." she realized her words weren't exactly working, "I understand how you feel, I really do."

He turned to her, trying to keep a small smile up. She had what she wanted, then why did it hurt? He'd get over it eventually, wouldn't he? If he felt something for her, then he'd get better with time...

Wen's gaze suddenly moved from Azula's face to something behind her.

"Captain!" Azula heard a woman's voice and immediately turned to recognize Wen's first mate in a black cloak hurrying towards them. Azula let go of Wen's hand, simply because she didn't want to be the last one to let go.

A few seconds later the woman, Shi, jumped at Wen and hugged him. That was hardly necessary...

"You dumb bastard, I thought you were dead!" she shoved Wen after ending the hug.

"Disappointed?" he joked, "What did you do with my ship, Shi? Is it at the bottom of the ocean?"

"We got recognized and had to hide it." she explained, "But everything is in tip-top shape, Cap. Just like you left it."

"Wait, is it in tip-top shape, or how I left it?" he smirked.

"And I didn't expect to be seeing you back here, dollface." Shi turned to Azula, "Although, I should have known. Cap can't resist bringing in strays... Or a pretty face."

"Actually, Shi," Wen interrupted, "Azula just wants a solo sail boat and she'll be out of our hair."

"Not staying, Miss Blue? Too bad."

As Shi led them along the shore to a remote beach, all Azula could think about was how she still wasn't convinced this was happening. She was still ready for it all to turn out to be a trap for Wen at any second. Who knew, maybe she hoped it would...

Wen and Shi walked side by side, joking, while Azula trailed behind them looking around for the slightest indication of treachery. There was no way they actually...

Then they noticed the ship in the distance. Those people were actually waiting for him, even after being almost captured twice. But seeing as she came back for Wen too, when faced with that choice, she shouldn't have been surprised. He seemed to have that effect.

"Yeah, yeah, you know me... Hard to kill." Wen said after a loud cheer following him climbing onboard his ship again, "You all remember Princess Azula, don't you?"

And just like that all eyes on the ship where on Azula, and she didn't really know how to react. She was used to adoring crowds, that was not the problem, she just felt awfully out of place there.

"Told you! He's alive, pay up!" one of the crewmen yelled, causing another, his twin by the looks of it, to throw three coins over to him with a scowl.

"But they're together, which means you owe me." the other one claimed. Azula watched as the transaction repeated in the opposite direction and looked over to Wen, confused.