Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar...

A Candle for The Lady

- X -

"Mai, I'm sick of you're no need to feel! You're like being around a rock!" Zuko yelled with outrage in his voice; his arms were thrown up into the air with wonder. Mai stood there in front of him with her arms crossed— keeping a stable look on her face. She simply lowered her eyebrows and pointed for the door.

"If you don't like it, then leave Zuko." Mai stated nonchalantly. Zuko said nothing and stomped out leaving Mai to her lonesome.

"Who needs her?" he yelled while making his way to his room, "Who does she think she is? She's nothing! She never feels anything and I can never make her happy!" he kept telling himself these things over and over again boosting his own pride on the decision he had made. This was because he didn't want to make a wrong decision. He knew he had to be right— he just needed to convince himself a little more.

He made his way down the hallway and just a small distance away from his room. His shoulders were reared up showing a "bad mood" and his arms swung defensively in an alpha-male manner. As he continued towards his room, he felt another presence approaching him. He stopped in his tracks without turning his head.

"Who is there, and what do you want?" he tried his best to keep his voice sedate. He heard a few more footsteps, and then they came to a rest. Zuko patiently waited for an answer of some sort. "What do you want?" his voice raised a little as he slowly turned his head, facing the individual. Ty Lee stood there with a big smile across her face. Her right foot traced the outlining of the tiles on the floor, in anticipation of his eyes. When she saw he was looking directly at her, her smile seemed to grow bigger.

"Hey Zuko! You seem angry. You know, being angry causes stress and stress gives you gray hair before your time— it's not good for you." She said.

"Leave me alone." He said and walked through his doorway.

"Zuko, you want something to eat?" Ty Lee peeped in through his doorway.

"Ty Lee, I said—"

"They have strawberry pie." She smiled cathartically.

"Look," Zuko raised his voice to yell, "I don't want pie! I want to be left alone!"

"Zuko there goes your anger again… you have to learn to relax, you know? Did something happen with Mai?" Ty Lee placed her first finger on her head in thought. Zuko's face turned a little red without him knowing it.

"That's none of your business!" he yelled.

"Yeah it is. Mai's like my best friend, and so are you." She reasoned.

"I am not your best friend!" he continued to yell, feeling that she was being obscene.

"Yes you are Zu-zu." She smiled upon hearing the name jump off of her lips. She flicked his nose in a playful manner— Zuko just seemed to grow madder.

"Grrr… Ty Lee! Just go away!!!" he shouted and slammed his door shut. Ty Lee seemed to feel a little offended towards his actions. Ty Lee placed her hands upon her hips.

"Something is defiantly going on with those two." She smirked.

"How would she know something is going on between me and Mai?" Zuko asked himself pacing back and forth in his room, "She's crazy! Nothing's going on between us! Nothing ever does, and nothing ever will again!" Zuko sat down on his bed and slid his hand down his face. He was catching his breath from all that screaming and yelling. "On top of all of this… what if the Avatar isn't dead?" Zuko placidly asked himself.

Then, after a few more minutes, Zuko heard a knock at his door. He stood up and placed his hand on the doorknob, opening it to reveal the person standing in front of him. Before getting a clear vision of the individual standing in front of him, a strawberry pie was pushed up to his face. Zuko reared his head back and away from the plate.

"What the heck are you doing?" he asked. The person brought the plate down and smiled. Ty Lee stood in front of Zuko with happiness pulsating through her veins. Zuko imagined himself beating his head with a hammer until he went into a comma.

"Ty Lee, I said I didn't want any." He stated.

"I know. I just thought you might be lying, so I brought you some anyway." She said.

"God, you women are so—!" Zuko's sentence was turned into a fragment by the lights in the hallway going out. "Great! Now I can't see!" Zuko yelled in sarcasm.

"It's so dark." Ty Lee whined, "I hate being in the dark…" her smile was wiped away in what seemed to be an instant. All you heard was a few footsteps then bang! Trip!

"Owie…" Ty Lee had tripped over something, "this floor is really soft and warm." Ty Lee felt her surroundings.

"That's because, you're not on the floor!" Zuko raised his voice near the end of his sentence.

"I'm sorry." Ty Lee quickly let out, "I'm just so afraid." She was so blunt about her fears. Zuko sensed moroseness in her voice and felt compelled to be of some sort of help.

"Here." Zuko tried to be nice, but sounded stubborn in his voice like giving into a child's wants. Zuko snapped his fingers and a small little ball of fire hovered over his hand. The little light was enough to see, and enough to at least make Ty Lee feel comfortable.

"Thanks Zu-zu." Ty Lee smiled amicably.

"— Don't mention it… just don't call me that." Zuko responded.

"Okay Zu-zu." Ty Lee said. Zuko just slightly rolled his eyes at this.

"Let me go get a candle and light it. They should have the lights back on in no time." Zuko said and began to walk away.

"Wait!" Ty Lee demanded and grabbed onto his sleeve. Zuko stopped and turned towards her; he could barely see her expression through the pitch-blackness but knew what facial expression she had.

"What?" he asked, wondering why she was tugging on his shirtsleeve…

"Don't leave me. I'm scared." She said with a little tremble in her voice.

"Here. Then, take my hand." He suggested and grasped onto her hand. This surprised her a little but she went with it. It gave her a sense of comfort and protection. He dragged her along the short distance into his room and he grabbed a candle off of one of his steel shelves. He snapped his fingers, lighting it, and held it in front of Ty Lee.

"Why aren't you letting go?" he asked.

"You're so warm." She gently rubbed her cheek against his arm.

"Whatever." He said, "Here. Hold this candle." He handed her the candle and she tightly held onto it like a lifeline. "Don't hold it too close, because it'll burn you." He suggested. She smiled, "Of course… oh, and thank you, Zuko." She glanced up at his amber eyes. They shifted away and he stared down at the floor. "I don't know what I'd do without you." She smiled big at her own comment.

"You could do a lot better—" he stated and took a step away.

"What do you mean Zuko?" she questioned.

"I'm nothing. I've been banished and my father scarred me. Now, Mai hates me. Without me, this place would go on." He said.

"Zuko, that's not true." Ty Lee walked back up to him and gently placed her hands on his arm.

"Without you, I'd be scared and alone." She looked down. Zuko couldn't help but smile inside. He looked down at her.

"Ty Lee, I—" and before his words could finish, the lights came back on and the room was bright again.

"The lights are back on." Zuko stared up at the ceiling. Zuko looked down at his arm that Ty Lee was still holding onto; she had her eyes closed shut. "Why are you still holding onto me?" he asked her. She opened her eyes, leaving them vulnerable to the lighting.

"I just thought, that maybe, if I still saw darkness— you'd still let me hold on…" she said and stared up at him. Zuko seemed to be speechless for once.

"Ty Lee—" Zuko was in shock that, before he could blink, her lips clung onto his in a fiery moment. She quickly released and loosened her grasp from his arm.

"I have to go now, Zuko— but, thank you, again." She smiled. She flipped up onto her hands and walked out with her feet up in the air. Zuko stood there for a second with no reaction and then he finally cleared out what actually happened.

"Ty Lee, wait!" he yelled out after her and ran out of his room. Ty Lee stopped and stood back onto her feet. She faced him. He walked up to her with only inches between their bodies.

"It's just…" Zuko couldn't find the words to say. Ty Lee stood there smiling with curiosity. "I just—" Zuko finally got frustrated with his words and forced his lips against hers'. Ty Lee's eyes were wide open. Her insides smiled as she closed her eyes and just kissed him back and he wrapped his arms around her…

OWARI

Ah... so sweet. I love this couple. I never really cared for KataraxZuko and I HATE Mai so she can't be with him. I just think him and Ty Lee would be so cute together! Don't you agree? Please review!!!