"Maybe..." the Uzumaki's expression was soft and comforting, stroking the girl's cheek with his thumb to prevent tears from spilling down her face, "Maybe not..."
"..."
He wouldn't let her go.
He wouldn't leave her alone.
"I know that monsters don't feel guilt...and listening to you, I know that you do, Azula. I know that if you could travel to the past, if you could, I know that you would have changed everything," he said calmly, with confidence, though he had no faith in his own words.
He didn't see a monster... just someone who made a lot of bad decisions.
Azula looked him in the eyes, "Why would you believe that?" she muttered confusedly.
"Because I believe in you. I believe... no, I'm sure you're a good person."
Those words.
Each of those words snuck deep into Azula's heart, and she felt her insides break.
His words... his bright blue eyes... that smile.
Goodness.
Happiness.
Faith.
Trust.
Dear...
He had a beautiful smile.
Azula almost fell when arms unexpectedly surrounded her, her heart beating like crazy when she felt Naruto's warm body collide with hers in a tight hug.
His golden hair tickled her nose; he was still a little shorter than her.
His arms were strong and held her against him; she wouldn't get away from him, even if she fought with all her might to do so.
She felt his warm breath brush against her neck, sending a pleasant shiver down her spine.
Slowly, she raised her arms, which felt like lead; she almost seemed to tremble in doubt of what to do. In the end, her arms moved on their own, returning the hug.
The weather... it was strange.
Reality... was strange.
Neither of the two teenagers moved away, in what was the longest hug either of them had ever given in their lives.
And Azula enjoyed every second of it.
He couldn't help but return the hug with more force.
Breathing deeply, he caught the unique aroma of flowers, forest, earth, and also food that he had.
But more than anything, she enjoyed his warmth.
This... was what she needed.
Someone who would look at her with affection, no matter how unbalanced, stained, and dirty her soul was.
Someone to hug her and give her special affection.
This wasn't like with his uncle and brother.
It was something that perhaps he didn't understand.
This... was... Love?
Azula almost dug her nails into Naruto's back, and a look of panic came to her face for a single second as he began to back away from her.
She didn't want him to go away; she didn't want to lose this feeling of warmth.
Refocusing, the firebender slowly released the ninja boy.
Naruto seemed to ignore the way she behaved when they separated; he was just happy that he had made the girl feel better about herself.
"I think it's time to see what's here."
Now there's something else to focus on, like checking the box where they ended up beaten and covered in mud.
"Hey?" She tilted her head when she realized that she couldn't open the box; maybe it was so old that it already got stuck.
Frowning, he began to struggle with the box; surprisingly, it was tougher than he initially thought.
Just as he was about to break the box with brute force, he heard a sound.
*Click*
With a blank look, Azula turned the handle that kept the box closed and couldn't contain a smile when she saw the embarrassed blush on Naruto's face, who coughed uncomfortably after that awkward moment.
"I had already loosened it," he muttered under his breath, looking away.
"Of course."
Naruto initially looked puzzled at Azula's laughter, surprisingly feminine, but he couldn't help being infected by her laughter and ended up joining in.
After the brief laughter, they refocused on the box.
The two teenagers looked curiously at the contents of the small chest.
Inside were two night-black bracelets positioned at each corner of the box. They looked elegant and delicate. They exchanged glances before returning their attention to the box.
Azula picked up the card nestled between the two bracelets and read it aloud.
'Separated in happiness, united in love, apart they are nothing, but together they will illuminate the dark path that awaits them...'
"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked herself, flipping the card around in confusion.
"This looks like something your uncle would write," Naruto remarked.
"I don't know." Naruto took both bracelets and realized that they were slightly different sizes.
It didn't take long for him to notice that one was actually for women and the other was for men.
Taking the one meant for him, he put it on his right wrist, though it was a little big, so at least it wouldn't fall off.
Looking at the smaller one, he took Azula's left hand and placed it on her.
"What are you doing?" The princess's question was answered by an unexpected event.
The hands of both teenagers were close, causing the bracelets to react. Suddenly, they began to shine in gold, with blue lines forming half of a heart on each bracelet.
Unconsciously, they brought their hands closer until their bracelets touched, intensifying the glow.
The light from the bracelets countered the surrounding darkness, illuminating Naruto and Azula's faces with white light.
Neither of them expected this to happen, and they couldn't help but gaze into each other's eyes under that heavenly light. Without realizing it, they moved closer and closer.
Time seemed to slow down for them. They never broke eye contact as they drew nearer, feeling each other's warm breath.
The first kiss was gentle, their lips barely touching timidly, as if afraid of being burned by the mere contact.
The second kiss... was special.
Naruto carefully placed his hand on Azula's cheek, drawing even closer to her for another kiss.
It was clumsy and abrupt, but neither of them minded, because it was the best moment of their lives.
Not Konoha.
Not the Fire Nation.
Not war.
It was just him and her.
This was their moment, where nothing else mattered but the soft kiss they shared.
Naruto felt strange and happy. This was officially his first kiss on the lips with a girl, a very special one that made him close his eyes and savor the sweet taste of her lips.
Azula wrapped her hands around the boy's neck, pulling him closer, fearing he would pull away.
Fearing he would end this wonderful feeling in her chest, one she had never experienced before.
She savored his lips.
She felt their noses touch.
She relished the soft touch on her cheek.
She savored every bit of this magical moment, never wanting it to end.
They were two people... deeply damaged.
As similar as they were different.
One had it all—parents, a brother, a home. She never experienced hunger or cold in her childhood, hated by many and loved by few.
The other had nothing—no parents, no home. Nights without sleep due to hunger or cold, hated by many and loved by few.
In the end, they both just wanted someone who would receive all the love they had to give, someone who would value that love they wanted to share.
Apparently, they had found it.
It was almost a minute later when the two slowly separated, still gazing into each other's eyes. It would take their brains a while to process what had just happened.
Leaning their foreheads against each other, they relished the closeness, happiness evident in their smiles.
"Wow…" was the only word Naruto could muster to describe what he felt.
"Yes...wow," Azula echoed his sentiment, her cheeks flushed, and her heart pounding like a hammer against an anvil.
She wanted to kiss him again, and again.
He wanted to give her his heart, and he wanted hers.
They inched closer, ready to kiss again.
"Naruto?"
The beautiful moment shattered with a small, low voice. Naruto stiffened, slowly turning to see Toph standing a few meters away.
"Toph..." he whispered in disbelief.
"What are you doing?" The blind girl's voice was initially confused, then she pieced together everything she 'saw' through her feet.
Her confusion turned to fury upon realizing who the girl with Naruto was—the same person who had threatened her friends' lives. She would never forget those moments.
Naruto felt torn between what he was witnessing and his friendship with Toph. "I..." His mind went blank. "Wait!" He reacted only when he saw Toph running away.
The entire wall of Ba Sing Se seemed to tremble as Toph broke a part of it and descended to the bottom.
Without hesitation, Naruto took Azula and jumped off the wall. They landed hard, sinking into the ground. He released her and looked at her one last time. "I have to go."
"..." Azula didn't have a chance to respond before Naruto had already dashed away.
Stunned, she stood there, looking down at her bracelet. Turning around, she made her way home, a big smile on her lips.
Naruto couldn't help but touch his lips with the tips of his fingers, feeling his heart swell with joy.
[ If you want to read advance Chapters then go to Pat reon and support me there.
PAT REON I'D:- Alzero ]