18 months after the end of the 100 Year War

Suki stood at the door to the Fire Lord's apartment pulling at her her Kyoshi warrior uniform at the waist, making sure that it was fitting right on her thin frame. 'You can do this.' She said to herself as she bit her lip, smoothing out her dress. She noticed for the first time that she was shaking ever so softly. She could not help buy laugh at herself for this behavior. She went into battles and was less nervous than she was right now. There was something about this current prospect that was far more terrifying than that of being killed while fighting. 'They don't teach you about this while training to be a Kyoshi warrior.' She told her self, taking a deep breath and walking though the door.

Zuko was sitting on the love seat that was in the living room area of his apartment having on only a pair of red pants and simple sandals. The room was dark accept for the fire which he was creating and then extinguishing in his hands. He stared at the fire as it danced across his palms, seemingly captivated by its warmth and power. There was a noise from his door way making him drop his hands, the fire going out.

"Who is there?" He asked to the darkness standing up swiftly. The Moonlight was spilling into the room, giving just enough light for basic shapes to be seen in the dark. He saw a figure at the door, and knew right away who it was. "Suki." He said under his breath, smiling ever so softly.

She walked into the room and smiled at him bowing a little bit as she did so. "Your majesty."

Zuko's heart started to pound faster at seeing her again, his face flushing over. "Please don't bow to be Suki," He told her, "I hate it when you do that."

She stood up and nodded at him, "Alright." She could see his outline in the moon light. She felt as if she was about to faint. She was shaking harder as she looked at him. "I'm happy you are back." She told him.

He nodded, "I'm glad to be back. I'm sorry I did not find you earlier today when I arrived home."

"Its fine. I figured that you were tired from your long trip." She said to him in a soft voice "I'm happy that you found your mother." She told him.

Zuko nodded, smiling at her. "Thank you, I am too."

"When will she come and live here?"

"I'm not sure. She re-married and has two small step children. She said that they need her for right now." He said, holding his hands behind his back.

"And Azula?"

"She stayed behind with her. My mother felt like she needed some time with the two of them; to help the both of them." He said in a soft voice that almost sounded a little sad.

She nodded "I think that is a good idea." Suki told him.

"So..." Zuko said to her, placing his hands behind his head and interlocking his fingers. He looked away, trying to be nonchalant but failed. "How have you been the past month?" He asked her.

"Well... Its been interesting." She told him.

"Interesting?" He asked.

She nodded "I have to talk to you about something." She said.

He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as soon as the words were said. It was his experience that when someone said that, especially a girl, that it was not going to end well. "What is that?" He dropped his hands to his side, rubbing his sweaty palms.

"When you kissed me, the day you left." She started.

He gasped a little bit in surprise. He had hoped with all his heart that she had forgotten about that foolish action that he had done in a moment of poor judgement. "What about it?" He asked, his voice squeaking as he spoke. He rolled his eyes at himself, annoyed that he could let his voice do that.

"Well..." She took a deep breath. "When you did that I..." Her voice trailed off.

"I'm sorry that I did that. It was a lapse in judgement and a mistake." He said to her simply, trying to cover up his action in any way that he could.

She shook her head, "Shut up." She told him in a soft yet firm voice. He said nothing else, waiting for her to speak. "When you kissed me, it was the single best thing that I had ever felt." She said, her voice shaking horribly. He looked in her direction, not sure of what to say or feel. "I don't think it was a mistake that you kissed me. I saw the look on your face, I saw the intent in your eyes and I know that you liked it." She told him "I liked it too, in fact I loved it..." She had gradually walked over to him so that she was standing in front of him, looking at his dimly lit face. "Ever since then I can't get that kiss out of my mind, the feeling that it gave me. I can't get you out of my mind, no matter how hard I try."

"Suki..." He said to her with a soft voice. He felt a soft sign flow from her lips at the sound of him saying her name. He took the queue from her and placed one on his hands on the side of her neck the other around her waist, closing the gap between them quickly. When their faces meet he placed his closed lips on her open ones. She gasped gently as she placed both of her gloved hands on his bare chest, letting his lips melt into hers. The feeling that she felt was exactly like the one that she had felt the day that he had left. It was a feeling that she wanted to feel for the rest of her life. Zuko's feelings were quite different than before. The feelings of dread and guilt were replaced with feelings of desire and affection. After a few moments of this he pulled away from the kiss, still holding onto her by the neck and waist. She held the position that she had held when their lips were touching, her eyes closed. After a moment she licked her lips opening her eyes and looking at him. "Was that what you remembered?" He asked her.

She nodded, looking at him intently. "That and more." She told him in a harsh whisper. Both of their breathings had quickened, their breath hot on one another's face. They were both blushing deeply, so much so that the red flush could be seen under her white face paint.

"I thought about you too." He told her. "Every single day I wanted you to be there with me." He stroked her cheek with his thumb, looking into her eyes, seeing only the reflection that the moon light cast in them. "I felt so guilty, so I tried to just press it out of my mind, but the more I tried the harder it was."

"Why guilty?" She asked him.

"Well... Several reasons. Sokka for one." Suki felt a ping of guilt herself as his name was said. "However the main thing was that I still hate myself for what I did to you and your people, to your island."

"Oh Zuko..." She told him with sadness in her voice. She moved one of her gloved hands to his cheek, holding it.

"Please understand." He said, pulling away from her.

"Understand what?" She asked, putting her hands together on her chest.

He held out a hand level to himself spreading his fingers in an outward direction, fire coming from his finger tips and creating a small ball of fire in the palm of his hand. The fire was small but bright enough that they were both clearly illuminated. Suki saw his face for the first time in a month; it feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She could not help but smile when she saw him.

"That I'm still a monster, I always will be." He told her.

She moved closer to him, taking her gloved hand and placing her fingers tips in between his fingers, moving them down toward his palm. The tips of her fingers were burnt by the fire, but she moved quickly enough so that the fire was extinguished fairly quickly casting the room back into darkness. He stood there speechless as she moved in closer to him, holding his hand and pressing her burnt finger tips into his palm. She continued to move in, stopping as soon as their lips made contact with one another.

He felt a sudden wave of pleasure engulf his body. Suki was the only person that he had ever known who could put out his fire, but then ignite a totally different one in him at the same time. It was something so powerful, so amazing that he found his mind and body unable to fully contemplate it. It was in that kiss that he was sold; on her, on them, and on anything and everything that would come from it. Suki pulled alway, much to his discontent, looking him in the eyes.

"You have to understand that when I look at you, all I see is the strong person you are, and the wonderful man that I know you will become." She told him, speaking softly but confidently. "I will follow you to the ends of time and the earth, Zuko. Even if you don't want me, even if you love another, I will never leave your side as long as I have breath in my body." She looked at him and smiled gently.

Neither of them said anything for a long white. They just stood in the presence of one another, radiating off each other. After a little while Suki removed her hand from his palm, pulling away from him. "You need your rest." She told him, holding her hands in front of her.

"Will you be here tomorrow?" He asked her, not sure what else to ask her.

She just smiled at him, "I will Sire." She said, giving him a shallow bow.

"Please..." he said to her. "Don't bow." He told her speaking in little more than a whisper, "Don't ever bow to me."

She just nodded, smiling. "Alright. I shall see you in the morning." She told him in her soft voice as she turned, leaving him alone in the room.

Zuko closed and opened his eyes, feeling like he was able to breathe for the first time since she had come into his room. He was not sure what to think or feel and was still unable to comprehend what really happened. The only thing that he could really do was just smile, feeling the fluttering of his heart coming back to a normal beat.