This was originally posted on a different account, but has been deleted there. This is an edited version. (It's also still technically my first fanfic - yay?) Anyway, I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters in this story. Surprise, surprise.

Edit: I've noticed that about half of the people who read this chapter don't go on to the next. It's not so fluffy and sweet after this, promise. (In fact, it's anything but fluffy.)

Twenty-eight minutes.

Zuko set his brush down, glaring at the mountain of paperwork in exasperation. Every day, the servants tottered into his study with a fresh stack of work – trade agreements, bills, legal matters, disagreements over land, inquiries over promotions and parties and meetings, schedules, even requests for his autograph. Zuko's hand was cramped, the wall was singed from a moment when his temper had flared, and there were still pages and pages to sign and correct. To top it off, the night before Zuko hadn't slept a bit due to a nightmare that he had never joined Aang, and Ozai had destroyed everything while Zuko looked on in horror; then, in the morning, there'd been another attempt on his life by one of Azula's deranged supporters. When Azula was still in power, Zuko had never imagined he'd have a chance at becoming Fire Lord, but during the brief moments when he dreamt about it, somehow it never was like this. Why did Azula want to become Fire Lord so badly, anyway? All I do is wake up long before dawn, stay up long past dusk to fill out paperwork, and attend the most boring meetings about the cabbage trade in the capital city, thought Zuko, before realizing the sheer stupidity of that question. She would've chosen war and pain. She'd want to hurt and scare and destroy, to wage war and burn everything to the ground. I chose peace, and therefore this is the price I pay. Mounds of paperwork, assassination attempts and barely enough sleep. Sighing, Zuko rubbed his eyes and looked up – at the one thing that made all the suffering, all the nightmares, and all the monotony completely worth it.

"Is it time already? And didn't I tell you to knock? For all you know, I could've been fooling around back here with that pretty new maid from the kitchens," said Zuko, holding back a grin as the dark cloud that had been looming above his head suddenly dissipated.

Mai looked around the spacious room for a chair; seeing one by the window, she made as if to get it, then thought better of it and took a seat on Zuko's desk. "I know for a fact that you wouldn't and you didn't." Mai's bored expression never changed, but Zuko saw a hint of a smile behind her impassive mask. In the little over a year that they'd been married, he'd gotten better at reading Mai's emotions, while Mai said it was only because she'd begun to loosen up.

"Who says I wouldn't, or that I didn't? She really is quite attractive," said Zuko, lounging back in his seat. "In fact, how can you be sure she's not hiding in this room at this moment, waiting for you to leave?" The smirk quickly slid off his face as Mai's hand flickered and two razor sharp stilettos flew past his head, clipping a lock of Zuko's hair and then burying themselves in the wall.

"That's why you wouldn't." Mai's gold eyes flickered with amusement at the Fire Lord's bewildered expression as he reached up to touch his hair. "Don't worry; your hair will grow back." She reached over the desk and kissed Zuko lightly on the cheek. "But either way, we're late. You'd better get changed quickly." She stood and began walking toward the door, with her husband extinguishing candles, putting away scrolls, and hurrying after her.

"By the way, Mai, how did you know that I didn't have an affair with the maid?" Zuko said teasingly as he followed her to their chambers.

Mai slowed down and turned to the Fire Lord, a slight smirk on her face and her eyes sparkling. "I just caught her making out with the cook before I went to your study." Something close to a giggle crept into her voice. "They were rolling around in the pile of carrots for the dinner; I gave them a dreadful fright when I burst in."

"I think I've just lost my appetite. Thanks a lot, Mai."

"You're welcome. Now, hurry up!"

Together, Mai and Zuko ran down the halls, talking the whole way.

This chapter was extremely short, though the rest shouldn't be. Mai and Zuko are also a bit out of character, in my opinion.

Thanks for reading!

-Victoria