The Warrior's Gambit (Zutara)

XV

Aang grabbed a bowl with an assortment of fruits, hoping to make a quick exit. Unfortunately, Azula had no such plans to allow him to do so.

"Come, Kuzon? Aren't you going to introduce me?" she asked, blinking at him.

Aang weighed his choices quickly and carefully. After a long moment, he outstretched his arm, but Momo refused to budge. In fact, he stayed close to Aang, hissing and chattering at Azula. If an animal could express disgust and hatred, he was pretty sure Momo was doing it.

"Sorry, he's been like that with everyone. I think he has a natural distrust of most people," Aang lied quickly. He had horrible thoughts of Azula killing Momo in the night for the pet's insolence, or something equally as terrible.

In reality, Momo hadn't been like this to all. In fact, when Iroh had bustled into Aang's study to meet the newest member of the Royal Family, Momo had climbed over Uncle Iroh like a tree, poking and prodding every bit of him. At first, Aang had been tripping over himself to apologize, but Iroh had just laughed.

"He's just curious, and it's likewise," he had said, patting Momo's ears. "We find each other quite the fascinating species."

If Momo were giving out seals of approvals, Iroh was one of the recipients. Azula was clearly not.

Many animals can sense goodness in people, Gopan said, And I would trust an animal's instincts over humans. Like crows! Did you know that crows-

No one wants to hear about your blasted birds, Gopan, Kuruk groaned. But I have to agree. We would be wise to take cues from the world around us. It's usually telling us something important.

"Of course." Azula pulled back, trying not to look offended. Still, Aang could tell she was frustrated. "Well, I'm sure in time it will come around."

"Yes, absolutely," Aang said, another lie. He never lied as much as when he was around Azula.

Azula hesitated. No, she lingered. Aang looked her up and down; she had a letter in her hand. His own curiosity won him over, plus the fact he was almost sure Azula wanted him to ask.

"What's that?"

"Oh, this?" Azula raised the letter like she'd somehow forgotten it was there. "I was just picking this up from the Royal Post. It's from Chan."

"From Ember Island?" Aang wracked his brain.

Azula brushed a piece of her bangs from her forehead with two fingers. "Yes. He's absolutely besotted with me." To someone who hadn't spent a great deal of time getting to know Azula - and most didn't - they may have interpreted her expression as disinterest. However, Aang knew that if Azula was even making a point to not burn his letter immediately, there was a genuine interest on her part.

Plus, he'd also overhead that moment under the porch.

Aang nodded, offering a true smile.

Aang hoped for goodness for and from everyone. He hoped that Chan made Azula happy, made her feel completed. He hoped that she got the opportunity to enjoy falling in love with someone that truly liked her, and he had to admit Chan did.

Azula - much like Zuko - had grown up far too fast, the weight of a whole world on their shoulders. In this, Aang felt a kinship. He didn't think that there was much else he shared with Azula, but on this, he understood. He knew how it felt to be expected to be an adult when you hardly knew how to be a kid.

To be honest, this was something he shared with everyone in his put-together little group. Katara and Sokka had been fighting a war against the Fire Nation since they'd been born to protect their own people. Toph had had to advocate for herself and her blindness without her parents. Ty Lee left her own family to find her own path. Aiga had to step up to provide for her family by working at the Palace. And Shoji did something similar, but by starting at the fighting pits...