I think it means I kind of... Like you...
"So does this mean you don't hate me anymore?" the pleading hope was there, the hope that now that she was near him, things couldn't be better, but there was so much he wanted to say to her, explain that she didn't deserve what she received, to tell her that he was sorry, and promise to never leave her side unless she ordered him away.
Which he hoped deep down, she never would.
She smiled slightly, looking away for an instant before her eyes, so filled with affection returned to those of the soon to be crowned fire lord, the shine in his eyes revealing just how happy he was to see her safe and with him, free of harm now that the war was over, her cheeks, such a beautiful shade of pink, that highlighted her high cheek bones and stood out against her smooth pale skin.
"I think it means, that I kind of like you."
Those words, for Mai showed so much affection, they hadn't quite gotten to the stage of telling each other just how much they cared, but the feelings were there, buried in their hearts wanting to explode, but all that was to be exploding today was Zuko's heart itself.
She had pressed her lips to his, something that he had dreamed of doing every night the last few months, something that brought him so much pain every morning he woke up and she wasn't by his side. It was such a painful memory for him, but yet, he couldn't feel pain. He returned the kiss, deepening it slightly. Her tongue flicked against his lips and he more than willingly opened the slight gap, letting her slide it through.
The kiss seemed to last forever, and the two would of been happy for it to have, but they eventually broke apart panting slightly for air.
Her eyes changed slightly then and she jabbed a solid finger into his chest.
"But" Jab. "Dont ever, break up" Jab "with me again"
Zuko was expecting a more forceful jab then, maybe a whole fist or a slap to the face, but he was taken aback when she wrapped her arms tightly around him, rested her head against his chest and an mumbled a helpless plea.
"Please?"
The quite, saddened, barely audible,
Broken...
Voice of Mai tore at him, gripping his heart and attempting to tear it out of his chest, his heart, something that had been tested time after time again, his heart, something he had given to Mai on a platter and simply ripped from her grasp only months before, his heart, something that he hoped she would accept again.
"Never." He replied, feeling the soft, cool trickle of a tear roll onto his shoulder.
When she looked back at him, the tears were still pricking at her eyes but there, sat beautifully displayed on her face, sat a smile.
His special smile, the one that she had reserved just for him. She leaned up and pressed her soft, thin lips to his, this time his brain exploded, and he was starting to worry about what she could do to him, from the most slight intimate touches, he was running out of organs, and at this rate, he was be a skeleton, wrapped with skin, wrapped with Mai's embrace, and he was alright with that.
She pulled back from him slightly, one hand still placed across his chest and the other over his shoulder.
"I'm sorry."
Mai looked at him confused for a moment, then she remembered and her mood darkened the slightest bit.
"I shouldn't have left you like that, with a letter, something that should have been said face to face, Mai you deserve better."
Zuko was crying himself now, he tried to pull away from her, show that she could leave now, and not feel trapped with him, not feel that she had to be there, and to know, she didn't have to put up with what he had done, if it would ever happen again.
But she didn't let him, holding him close and not daring to let go, in case this was all some twisted figure of imagination her mind had set her into, as a form of torture.
"Don't leave me Zuko" The pleading voice was back, she was actually pleading for him to stay, an emotion that had never crossed Mai's lips.
He looked deep into her eyes, so deep he couldn't even see the reflection his own eyes gave off in hers.
The thought came quickly too him then, but once it came it wouldn't leave, it was all he could think, it was all he wanted, it was soon but of course after everything they had been through didn't they deserve this, the only worry on his mind was if she would agree, he had already stopped crying and his lips had curved into a slight crooked smile.
Her smile.
"Marry me?"
She was taken aback, she didn't know what to say, she wanted him more than anything in the world. "Uhh" she stuttered, the words couldn't escape her lips.
He looked hurt. "Sorry."
Why was he apologising?
He turned his head away from her, looking out the window. She turned to stand in front of him again to see he was...
Crying?
But why?
And then she realised, he must of taken it as she had rejected him.
"Yes." She said smiling deeply into his eyes. She wiped the tears off his cheeks, fingers lingering slightly longer on the left.
"Wha... What?" his voice cracked due to the tears he had just shed.
"Make me your fire lady Zuko."
Aww more maiko fluff, got to love it :)
if you didnt notice, or didnt pick up on it this is set when zuko and mai reunite at the end of the series, just a way i thought i was show a twist on how the rest of the scene played out, the scene us maiko loves were robbed of. i hope you enjoyed it, i know its really short but expect a sequel sometime soon.