A/N: OK, so this is my ONE AND ONLY kinda, sorta, but not really, maybe a little bit Zutara story sometimes… hey, it ends up as Maiko, so I'm happy. I'm dedicating this one to jetaralover, you know I luv ya!!

B/N: …Zu… Zu-Zutara? YOU?! (dies)

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, I don't own Avatar, blah, blah, blah…

Lips of an Angel

"Are you coming to bed anytime soon?" Katara teased her fiancée as she watched him discard his heavy robes, leaving just his red, baggy pants.

"Yeah, yeah," Zuko sighed, giving her a crooked smile. The Fire Lord walked over to the bed, and, for a second, he imagined raven-black hair, beautiful silver eyes, and a smile that could melt his heart. He shook his head. He was engaged! It just wasn't fair at all to Katara if he kept imagining another woman in her place.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," the Firebender sighed, "just a lot of stress."

"Here, sit down on the bed; maybe I can help." Zuko sat down rigidly while Katara started massaging his back. "Wow, you're really tense."

"Yeah, being the Fire Lord will do that to you." He managed a semi-laugh. "So I don't think I've ever heard the whole story. Why did you and Aang break up again?"

The Waterbender let out a long, slow sigh. "Well, basically, I felt like I was distracting Aang from Avatar stuff and he was never home…" She choked up. "I felt like he thought that being the Avatar was more important than me. So I ended it."

"I'm sorry, Katara," he said, groaning when she hit a sore spot on his neck.

"Sorry," she apologized. "So why did you and Mai split?"

"Well," Zuko gulped, "when I asked her to marry me, she outright said no. Our relationship was never the same and soon after that we broke up."

"So have you eve—"

Katara was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Yes?" the Fire Lord answered wearily.

"There's a visitor outside; they say that they would like to speak with you privately," a messenger reported.

"I'm coming," he groaned, not bothering put his robes back on. Zuko stepped out of the door as the messenger bowed to him and raced off. "What do you want?" he snapped.

The cloaked figure just took him by the arm an pulled him into a room across the hall from his. It was just a sitting room, with a couple of couches and tables. The Firebender looked around as the figure closed the door behind her.

"You can't treat the Fire Lord like this! Tell me what you want!" he roared.

"Oh, I can't, can I?" a dry voice replied.

Zuko squinted, trying to see through the faded light. "Mai?"

"Took you long enough," she said, pulling the hood off of her head to reveal her face.

"Why are you here?" He stepped closer to her.

"Because I wanted to tell you something."

"OK, what?"

"Zuko, I'm getting married," she whispered.

"What?!"

"Look, it wasn't my decision! My parents are forcing me to marry some rich admiral that's twice my age!" Mai said desperately.

Zuko's heart melted immediately, "Mai, I'm sorry." He went as far as wrapping her into a "friendly" hug. Mai hugged him tightly, breathing in his smoky scent. She hadn't realized how much she had missed him until now. "It's all my fault," he mumbled into her hair.

"Why?" she looked up at him.

"Because if I wouldn't have broken us up, then you wouldn't be getting forced into marriage. We both wouldn't be getting forced into marriage," he whispered the last part.

"What?!" Mai pulled back from him.

"Listen, after I broke up with you, the sages were forcing me to get married. Well, Katara came around because she had broken up with Aang, and I figured that she would be way better than the snobs that just wanted to marry me for power. So, I kinda asked her to marry me and she kinda said yes."

"You're marrying that Water Tribe peasant?!"

"Well... yeah," Zuko said lamely.

"I can't believe this," Mai leaned into him again. "What happened to us?"

"Well, I remember me asking you to marry me, and then you saying no. So… so I thought you didn't love me."

"Zuko," she groaned, "you're such an idiot. I just said no because we were too young. I didn't think that either one of us was ready for that kind of commitment. It didn't mean that I didn't love you."

The Firebender felt his heart sink down into his stomach. "This means I'm a dork who doesn't even know how his girlfriend feels."

"Yeah, I already knew that," Mai smirked, running her hands along Zuko's back. "You're really tense," the weapons specialist observed.

"Yeah, I know," he moaned.

"Lie down." She pointed to a nearby couch.

The Fire Lord did what he was told, lying on his stomach. Mai hopped up and straddled him, sitting lightly on his lower back. She ran her deft fingers over his back, trying to kneed out any soreness. She massaged his shoulders and remembered how she used to do this to him all the time.

"That feels so good," Zuko groaned.

"Mmm-hmm." Mai smiled as she pressed a light kiss on the back of his neck. She let out a small yelp as he shifted underneath her to rest on his back.

"What was that?" he asked as she settled herself down on his stomach.

"I believe they call that a kiss," Mai said sardonically.

The Fire Lord looked up into her eyes and knew he was in very deep water. The line between a friendly conversation and being unfaithful was quickly becoming blurred. "You need to leave, Mai," the Firebender said, pain evident in his voice.

"Why?" Mai looked confused.

"Because we're both engaged!"

"So then call off the weddings." She shrugged.

"Mai, I can't just do that. I would hurt Katara."

"Zuko, I didn't think you liked her. I thought you loved me."

"I do, Mai." Zuko put a hand on her face.

"Than it shouldn't matter."

"But I can't just—"

Not even thinking, Mai crashed her lips onto Zuko's hoping for a response. Slowly but surely, he worked his hand into her hair, pulling it loose, and snaked the other arm around her waist. The Fire Lord moved over to the side, making Mai lie next to him. Suddenly, Zuko flipped Mai onto her back, ending himself up on top. He smirked down at her, amber orbs meeting silver ones. The dark-haired woman grabbed a fistful of his shaggy hair and brought his lips on her own. Zuko shivered in pleasure as their tongues engaged in a blissful dance. All of the sudden, the door knob clicked. His head shot up immediately to see an icy blue glare.

"Zuko?!"

A/N: Um, yes, in case you're wondering, that's the end; there's no more, so yeah. I know, I know, and yes, I HAD to make it end up as Maiko. So, please, read, review, if you yourself are an author, you know how much it means when people review. Hugs and cookies if you review!! ;)

B/N: Isn't the author such a horrible person for hurting poor Katara like that?! I don't care if Maiko is canon, that was just cruel. )':

A/N: Pfft, she always has Aang to come crying back to. He wouldn't hold a grudge...