You & I

Sisters

Ursa's POV
It was the night of the ball and I was sat in front of my dresser as maids tended to my hair, I was dreading this night more than anything.

I sat back into my seat and sighed.

"Are you okay, Princess?"

I offered the maid a faint smile through the mirror in front of me, "I'm fine."

Knock. Knock.

I caught a glimpse of the person standing in the door in the corner of my mirror and my face lit up, "Y/N!"

She dismissed the maids and took over doing my hair herself, brushing it gently, "you look beautiful, Ursa."

I slumped forwards and sighed, "this is stupid."

She exhaled before placing her hands on my shoulders and leaning her head next to mine, so I could see us both clearly in the mirror, "just play along for tonight, we're getting you out of here first thing in the morning."

"Wait, really?"

I turned to face her, she smiled warmly at me, "we've organised for a ship back to Republic City as soon as possible! Don't worry, I know the types of guys you'll be dealing with tonight... they'll come knocking on the palace door the next day, it's best we get you away from them as soon as we can!"

I felt myself grinning from ear to ear before I suddenly realised, "but Y/N, you and Iroh only just got back... you've been working non-stop! What about your return home? Your parents?"

She gestured for me to turn around so she could finish up with my hair, "don't you go worrying about me, I only came back for you anyway- if you wasn't having this ball, I'd probably still be working now."

Y/N doesn't have the best relationship with her father, they speak on occasion; she speaks to her mother more than her father, but their relationship as a family shattered a long time ago, when she was not much older than I am now.

She's been a part of my family for as long as I can remember. I was so glad that Iroh married her, because then I finally got a big sister of my own- and Y/N was the most amazing big sister I could've ever hoped for.

"Thank you, Y/N."

I almost felt like tears were threatening to escape my eyes; not because I was sad, but because I knew I had someone who was always there to make everything right. I wasn't going to have to go through with this crazy marriage stuff because Y/N was there to make sure everything was going to be fine- just like she always was.

There was a second knock at the door, followed by my brother's annoying voice, "hello, my love."

Y/N turned around, "hey, you!" He grabbed her waist leaned in and pressed his lips into hers, I cringed, "I just told Ursa the news."

Iroh leaned over my chair to look at me in the mirror, "my, my, don't you look lovely tonight, kid?"

I batted him out of the way, "yes, I do. Go away, I'm talking to Y/N about something."

"Well, I need to talk to Y/N about something, too."

I turned around in my chair and shoved him as far away from where I was sat as I could without standing, "okay, well I was talking to her first."

Iroh raised an eyebrow before striding over to Y/N and kissing her cheek, "okay, well she's my wife."

I snatched the hairbrush from Y/N's hand and smacked Iroh's arm with it repeatedly, "Get. A. Room."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him, "oh? I think I will."

I groaned before jumping up and grabbing Y/N's other hand, "not right now! I'm talking to her! Y/N, tell him!"

She pulled her hand away from his and glanced at me before turning back to him, "sorry, my love, but we're having some girl time. I'll catch you at the ball?"

My brother jokingly narrowed his eyes at me, before kissing Y/N's forehead and muttering, "okay, I'll see you down there."

They didn't break eye contact in that small exchange, and even though I make fun of them, they're all I want in a relationship. I want someone who looks at me the way my brother looks at Y/N, someone who cares about me the way she cares about him.

Y/N stuck her hand out for me to pass her the hairbrush that I'd just been hitting her husband with and we both chuckled as she went back to doing my hair.

"Y/N, can u ask you a question?"

"Sure, what's on your mind?"

"You and Iroh... how did you know that he was right for you?"

She paused for a moment, pursing her lips before she explained, "well, your brother made me fall in love when I wasn't even looking for it; I was stuck in my town's expectations for me as a woman, and he broke me free from them, expecting nothing in return. He was my best friend, and there's something really special about falling in love with your best friend."

"But what if you wake up one day and you just decide that he's a bore and you don't wanna be stuck to one person for the rest of your life?"

She raised an eyebrow at me and slightly chuckled, "oh, Ursa, you don't have to find yourself a lifelong partner right now, you'll do that if and when you're ready."

"But what if when I do finally get married, I just decide that I don't want them anymore; so then I'm stuck in a marriage where I'm not in love anymore?"

As she finished up with my hair she sighed, "love is a choice, not a feeling. It's waking up every morning and choosing to love that person, choosing to know every single one of their flaws, every single thing they've done wrong and still seeing the beautiful person you always knew they were."

I didn't understand, but I just nodded anyway. Perhaps one day, if I ever got as lucky as my brother, I'd understand why they still look at each other like that after all this time.

I tried to stand up but Y/N stopped me, "wait, there's something I want you to have."

I paused and looked at her through the mirror as she pulled something from her hair. It was a beautiful, sparkling hair pin with a small blue dragon on it.

As she neatly placed it in my hair she told me, "Iroh gave me this when I left to join the United Forces with him, there was this fancy dinner with Avatar Aang, Chief Sokka, Suki and everyone else. I thought maybe you could have it as a sort of... good luck charm, perhaps."

I grinned at her, "you know you're the best, Y/N"

She grinned back, "I know. Now, come on! I'm sure everyone's waiting for you!"