Story suggestion from Xx-LoveNeverMore143-xX.
A prison of frost and cold, without a doubt can turn one's soul and heart to ice.
A freezing cage can suck the heart void of love.
But P'Li had something to cling to. She had hope. She had memories. She had to keep the love in her heart because she had someone to give it to. Someone who was tens of thousands of miles away. Someone confined to a cage of his own.
P'Li could only hope and pray that he—they—would live to see each other again, should fate ever allow them freedom again.
P'Li leaned against the wall—restraints keeping her from actually laying down—and pulled the flimsy and tattered blanket they gave her, over her shoulders. This was going to be a truly long lifetime if she couldn't escape.
It was on a day that she was feeling most lonely when she heard the door to her cell creak open. The blistering cold had the thing shrieking noisily as it was heaved open.
The tiniest, thinnest stream of water wrapped itself around the door.
P'Li would recognize those little water arms anywhere.
"Guess he saved the best for last huh?" Ming smirked as she led the combustionbender out.
P'Li hadn't really any words to offer her old friend. So she posed a question; "He's doing well right?"
"Better than the rest of us." Ming answered.
When they had arrived outside of the prison, P'Li could see Zaheer and Gahzan standing just a few feet from the entrance.
He looked so different. His hair was longer. He'd grown a beard. He certainly didn't look half bad with a beard.
She wondered how she must look to him.
P'Li couldn't stop herself, before she knew it she was in his arms whispering about how she thought they'd never see each other again. In her ear he whispered that he never had any doubts.
"That's okay." Ming called. "While you two suck face, Gahzan and I will take down the Fire Lord and his friends."
"She hasn't changed at all." P'Li noted.
"Not much." Zaheer agreed. "I'll be with you in a moment."
P'Li nodded. "I'll take care of the dragon." She'd been longing to use her bending for decades. It was exhilarating to send a beam of fire in the direction of the man who kept her from Zaheer. With her focus completely on the Fire Lord, she neglected to see the twins headed her way.
The two made no hesitation in sending hundreds of ice darts in her direction.
She could only dodge a few, the rest burrowed beneath her skin.
From the new breaks in her skin trickled blood. Too much of it.
She felt a rush of air sweep past her. Zaheer had never looked quite so furious. P'Li blinked twice, her vision going fuzzy. She focused on him…on Zaheer…just in case she couldn't open her eyes again…
P'Li woke up to a pleasant warmth. Her head rested against something soft…fuzzy.
Zaheer's hand brushed over her straggled hair. She was in his arms. Head resting on the fluffiest part of his coat. His coal eyes staring deep into her amber ones. His expression was soft and gentle…caring.
"Everything is going to be just fine. Ming still has a…healing touch."
P'Li sat up despite the dull throbbing in her sides, everything—for the first time in decades—felt right. She was with Zaheer again.
He pressed his forehead to hers.
He was the only one who felt safe doing so.
They sat there like that, forehead to forehead, for a few moments until one of them moved in for a kiss. Perhaps they both had the idea to do so at once. That was the last thing on her P'Li's mind. She was just glad to feel his lips on hers…where they belonged.
Nothing would keep them apart from that moment forward. Not even Gahzan's "Oh come on. You're gonna do that right now?"
Of course his words wouldn't. Not even a decade or so of frost could freeze the love out of P'Li's heart.
And wherever they stuck Zaheer…it wasn't enough either.
Fate always did have this way of bringing those who were meant to be, together. All they had to do was wait.