The sound of blocks hitting the floor echoed through the room, startling everyone into silence. Azula quickly lifted her head from Kyu's shoulder.
Her sharp gaze darted back to Tenya, who sat frozen, his tiny hands clutching the air where the top block had just been.
The tower lay scattered around him like a battlefield, toppled by an overly apologetic Tensei.
"Oh no, Tenya, I'm so sorry!" Tensei exclaimed, immediately kneeling to gather the blocks. His face was a mix of guilt and panic as he tried to salvage the situation. "I didn't mean to knock it over."
Tenya's lower lip quivered as he stared at the wreckage on the floor. His blue glasses slipped down his nose, and he pushed them back up with one determined finger. A tiny, frustrated grunt escaped him, but to everyone's surprise, he didn't cry. Instead, he bent down and began meticulously rebuilding his tower, his little brows furrowed with concentration.
Azula's eyes narrowed as she observed him.
No dramatic wailing? No calling for his mom? Just quiet persistence? Weird, but intriguing.
"Tenya's always been like that," Taya said, explaining her son. "Focused, and very serious for his age."
Sue smiled. "That's a wonderful quality to have." Sue gently smiled at Tenya.
Azula narrowed her eyes at Tenya.
Is this what I'm supposed to be friends with? A perfectionist block stacker? She scoffed inwardly, and let out a loud whine. A sound telling her parents to let her be.
Kyu sighed as he placed his daughter down. The moment Azula was on the ground, her focus zeroed in on Tenya. She began crawling closer to get a better look.
Meanwhile, Tensei had turned his attention back to Azula, a wide grin on his face.
Tensei greeted the crawling child with a bright smile. "She's so tiny!" he said, leaning down to her level. "Hi, Azula! I'm Tensei. Do you want to play with us?"
Azula glanced up at him briefly before crawling toward Tenya instead. She had no interest in Tensei's overly enthusiastic energy. Something about Tenya's quiet determination drew her in, even if it was to see if he would get frustrated enough to quit.
When she reached him, Tenya paused in his stacking, his blue eyes meeting hers. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, Tenya held out a block—a simple red one—with an expectant look on his face.
"Kyu! Kyu!," Sue excitedly whispered as she held onto her husband's arm.
Azula blinked at it, her tiny hands hovering uncertainly. She glanced at Sue and Ryu, who were watching the interaction with barely concealed excitement, then back at Tenya. Slowly, she reached out and took the block.
For a moment, everyone held their breath. Azula placed the block on the growing tower, and Tenya nodded approvingly. But as the next block was added, the structure started wobbling. Azula frowned at the instability, her sharp mind already calculating the problem. Before Tenya could make another move, she reached out and poked the base of the tower.
CRASH!
The blocks scattered again, this time deliberately toppled by Azula's hand. A gasp escaped the adults, and Tensei froze mid-sentence, his jaw-dropping. Tenya stared at the mess, his calm demeanor faltering for just a second. Then he looked at Azula, his face a mix of confusion and mild annoyance.
Kyu stepped forward. "Azula, that wasn't very nice."
But Azula wasn't paying attention. She didn't even stare at Kyu. All her attention was on Tenya She was watching Tenya, waiting to see how he would react. Would he cry? Throw a tantrum? Quit and crawl away?
YOU ARE READING
In Their Eyes (Azula x BNHA)
Fanfiction"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it." A girl no older than sixteen covered her ears as she curled within her body as voices swirled around her. SHE'S THE PRODIGY SHE'S THE OBSTACLE SHE'S THE THREAT SHE'S THE ENEMY SHE'S A MONSTER "BE QUIET. ALL OF YOU. LEAVE...
