Amethyst

A/N: Man, you guys are some of the coolest people. :) You're gonna like this one.

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Wind

The night started out bad and only managed to get worse.

Not only did the host "misplace" their reservation at a very nice high-end restaurant, every restaurant in the vicinity was packed on the busy Friday evening forcing them to wait two hours just for a plate of lukewarm fish. Upon their departure, they realized that Asami's car had been smashed by a kid going on a joyride in his father's car. The kid sobbed huge alligator tears and Asami couldn't bare to scold him, despite the frustration she felt. Iroh tried to salvage the sour night by suggesting a walk around the city, but within minutes they were caught up in a sudden and violent rainstorm. Soaked and chilled to the bone by the wild winds, they ducked into a small bakery just as the power went out. The other people in the shop let out surprised gasps as lightning flashed in the sky. The pair stood by the door, dripping water and in the darkness, Asami found Iroh's eyes. A beat passed between them and they began to laugh.

"You look like a drowned pigeon-rat!"

"You should see your hair!"

"Spirits, that rain came out of nowhere!"

"The way you jumped at the thunder-"

They dissolved into laughter again.

"F-Forgive me, you must be freezing!" Iroh managed to force out. He pulled off his damp uniform jacket to put over Asami's bare shoulders. She laughed, pulling the jacket around her with shivering fingers.

"I'm so sorry, Iroh. This has been a horrible date."

"Oh, I don't agree," he said. His eyes danced in the low light and she couldn't resist smiling.

The rain continued to pour relentlessly and the lack of power kept them in darkness. The other people in the bakery talked quietly among themselves, snacking on the things they had bought for their homes. Asami and Iroh remained by the window, laughing and chatting while the thunder and lightning flashed in the background.

"But then the Commander jumped off the ship without warning! If I didn't know Bumi better, I probably would have had the same face the Major did."

"Oh Spirits!" Asami gasped through her laughter, reaching to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I don't think I've laughed that hard in months!"

Iroh smiled. "You should do it more often. Your laugh is beautiful."

Asami blushed, rolling her eyes. "Oh please. I snort."

"That only adds to the charm," he said. She met his eyes in disbelief, before realizing belatedly that he was serious. She narrowed her eyes in lighthearted suspicion.

"Ah, I know what you're doing. Two can play this game, General," she taunted. He raised an amused eyebrow when she leaned forward carefully looking him over. "You should smile more often. The scowl is nice, but the smile is handsome."

Iroh gave her a cheeky smirk. "You think I'm handsome?"

"I believe I said your smile was handsome," Asami retorted with a smug smile.

"Ah, and there's that sharp wit," he commented. "Never late."

Asami's smile grew wider. "You like it."

Iroh shrugged. "I do."

"And there is that ridiculous honesty," Asami said.

"You like it," Iroh said cheekily.

Asami grinned. "I do believe I do."

Iroh's grin faded into a soft smile and he reached up to tuck a damp curl behind Asami's ear. His warm fingers bushed against the cold skin of her ear, sending a sharp chill down her spine. She looked up at him, noticing the way his eyes lingered on her face. His hand gently cupped her cheek.

"Your eyes are beautiful," he admitted softly.

Her cheeks burned and her lips turned up into a delighted smile. Lightning flashed and illuminated their faces in the darkness. She couldn't look away, even when the light faded away again. He looked so attractive to her. His hair was heavy with water, giving him a boyish look with his bangs hanging near his eyes; the lightning cast sharp shadows on the lines of his cheekbones, contradicting the young look his bangs gave him; and his lips. His lips were a supple shade of scarlet where the his blood had warmed them from the chill outside, and they curved up slightly with the smile he aimed her way. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't draw her eyes away from them. Unintentionally, his tongue darted out to wet the edges of his mouth, and Asami was struck with an overwhelming desire to kiss him.

And she did just that.

He was stiff and unresponsive at first, his lips like fire against her colder ones. She lingered there for a heartbeat or two before shyly pulling away, to gauge his reaction. A curl of nervousness pooled in her stomach when she saw the shocked expression on his face. She started to second guess her impulsive decision, biting her lower lip out of nervous habit. His eyes snapped down to her mouth and a different sort of nervousness flushed through her. His hand, which had dropped from her cheek during her impulsive kiss, lifted back up to tangle in her wet hair before he pulled her closer to kiss her himself.

His lips were just as warm and wonderful as before but suddenly so much more in that moment that Asami was nearly left breathless. His kiss was gentle and sweet and yet there was a burning passion behind all that tenderness that became more apparent as the kiss progressed, warming her all the way down to her toes. After a long moment, he drew away, their lips giving a small pop as they parted. Asami struggled to draw in a solid breath as she looked up at him. His cheeks were red with a blush, but his eyes showed no questions within them. He stared at her like a man who knew what he wanted and that had an all new type of shiver racing down her spine.

They were leaning in for a third kiss when the lights finally came back on within the bakery, the other customers giving a subdued cheer as they quickly pulled away from each other. The rain outside had let up a bit, and the rumble of thunder sounded farther away, but they met each other's gaze, cheeks red and eyes dancing, unconcerned about favorable change in weather. As the other customers braved the rain and left one by one, Asami turned to Iroh with a small smile.

"The date may not have turned out well, but I'm willing to stick around for dessert," she said. "Join me for a slice of pie?"

Iroh's responsive smile was the most brilliant she had seen yet. "It would be my honor."

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A/N: Ahhh. Fluff. I love you. :) Something tells me I may have to bump up the rating for this story. Not feeling the K+ rating quite as much anymore. lol Hope you liked it!