"Never give up without a fight," Zuko read off of the small dagger in his hands, giving the small boy in front of him a coveted smile. "I want you to have it." He held the dagger out to the young boy.

Lee looked up at Zuko, a question in his eyes. "Why would I need this?"

Zuko sighed. "I hope you never need it...but with your brother gone you need something to help protect your family."

"Can't you stay," the boy asked naively.

"I don't think you want me here, kid." Zuko put a hand on his shoulder when he saw the sad look. "I want to stay though."

"Then why can't you?"

Zuko set his mouth into a firm, grim line. "I just can't."

Zuko set off, away from the little farm, once again alone on the road.

"You're not focusing."

Zuko let out a puff of steam through his nose and he directed a pout towards Mai, who was sitting cross legged in front of him. "I am too!"

"Then what's with the pout." Mai poked his knee. "Again."

With a deep breath, Zuko schooled his features into a straight line and focused on the sounds around him and his own heart beat to keep him focused.

Today, instead of asking questions like the previous few sessions over the few weeks they had been on the boat, Mai had taken to silence today. Zuko was a little wary that it had something to do with last night, as he didn't like talking about his nightmares. There was a bond of trust building between them, and Zuko found himself depending on Mai without even thinking, even with his hesitations. She had grown up with his family and knew their troubles intimately. She might be one of the few that might understand the tangle of string that held the family of puppets together. One problem that Zuko found in putting more trust in Mai was the issue of the sparks.

Having sparks near someone was always in the stories his mother told him when he was a child. Whenever he was around Mai, Zuko could feel the sparks bubbling under his skin and racing across his skin. It didn't seem to bother Mai, but it frustrated Zuko to no end that he couldn't hide it. Zuko had a feeling it had to do with his growing affection for her. That, or something was wrong with his firebending. That morning, Zuko had woken early to perform some of his practice katas, but all of his powers seemed to have melted away. The last time his fire bending worked normally was before the night in the catacombs underneath Ba Sing Se. Now he could only produce a measly little flame. It was like he was a little kid again, being sneered at by his grandfather. Losing control of one's bending is something akin to death. At least with Mai, he could focus on something other than his bending.

Zuko took another controlling breath and connected his gaze to Mai's, scanning her features. Mai blinked lazily, feigning nonchalance as she looked away from him. "Did you have any more nightmares last night?" Mai asked, cutting the silence in two.

Zuko shook his head, careful to keep his face neutral. "No." Zuko shifted in his seat. "Thank you for asking."

Mai nodded and cast her gaze away from him, an obviously pensive look on her face. She remained quiet, but Zuko could tell something was stuck on her mind by how she tapped the tip of her knee with her freshly painted nails. "Have you seen your uncle yet?"

Zuko's right eye twitched. "No," he said curtly. "He's a traitor, why would I see him?" Zuko said, sounding like he was reading off of a script. "Even if I wanted to, I am not allowed into his cell." He curled up his fingers in a tight fist, the anger suddenly crawling its way to the surface, and he fought to keep it down. Mai tapped his knee to tell him to reset, but that just made Zuko angrier. He let out a huff of frustration and glared at her before resetting his face. "What are you trying to get at?" he asked, his voice short.

Mai closed her face off, shutting down the soft look she had been giving him moments before. Zuko groaned. He knew she didn't owe him anything, but he thought that after getting her to open up to him more often meant something.

"I am asking you questions that I know you will react to. You have to learn somehow," she said blandly.

Zuko scrunched up his nose. "You could be a little nicer about it," he mumbled.

Mai raised an eyebrow, but remained quiet. Zuko growled under his breath. As much as she was teaching him to build his own, he had been trying to bring her own walls down just so he could feel like he was talking to someone who really cared. Zuko schooled his face and drew up his mental shield, trying to not concentrate on his emotions.

"Feel like you are a simple, unmoving wall," Mai guided quietly. "You are made of steel and bend to nothing. Keep your face straight and your walls high," she murmured. There were several minutes of silence again, and Zuko felt himself get antsy, waiting for her to spring her attack. It dawned on Zuko that even though none of this was physical, building a mental, protective wall was like an Agni Kai. You protect yourself with your knowledge and instincts, keeping any enemy out, while using your patience to wait for the opponent to make a mistake instead.

"I visited your uncle last night," Mai stated. Zuko remained still, holding his breath and keeping his features even. "He told me about his favorite teas. Did you know he likes Jasmine tea the best?"

Zuko did not respond physically. Mai did not poke his knee and nodded. He was getting better.

"It was very easy to go visit him. Only one guard asked me why I was there. For all he knows, Azula sent me." Mai went on, a small smile playing on her lips: "The moon was very bright last night. There are not many nights like that."

Zuko felt himself getting frustrated. It felt like Mai was speaking in riddles. He was familiar with her words, but he did not know the answers and he felt desperately like he was missing something.

"The White Lotus tile opens wide to those who know her secrets," Mai murmured. "Have you heard that phrase?"

Zuko worked hard not to alter his facial features, keeping them nice and even. "Uncle said that phrase often. Some old proverb... probably." The two of them lapsed into silence again. So far Zuko was getting better at keeping his walls up, and his bruised knee was very happy with him. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Mai straightened, cracking her back. "Alright let's move to something harder, since you seem to be doing better with the questions. I'm going to say several statements, and I want you to try and not react." Zuko nodded and readied himself, repositioning his knees. Mai took a breath and let out a volley of statements. Zuko was sure that if she spoke slower he might react, but her statements flew over his head, making this segment relatively easy. It was easy, until he caught her last sentence.

"Wait, what?" Zuko's eyes widened in surprise. "You think my scar is cool?"

Mai pinched her lips together. "You're supposed to be not reacting." She flicked his knee. "Focus."

"Sorry," Zuko licked his lips. He felt his fingers twitch and he saw hers do the same. Zuko suddenly felt very odd sitting knee to knee with Mai. Zuko felt himself lean in, unconsciously, lost in Mai's hard stare.

With a sigh and a shake of the head, Mai turned away to look at the dummies situated around the room, breaking the trance that both of them had fallen under for the moment. "Whether it is a lie or a truth, you need to not react. Like if I told you the sky was falling, you should simply nod your head or remain motionless."

"Yes, Sifu Mai." Zuko nodded to prove her point. He grinned teasingly. Mai rolled her eyes, but he could see a hint of a smile hidden in her lips. "Alright, I'm ready. I want to try again."

"It snows in the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation is the most powerful nation," Mai droned, repeating random phrases that Zuko remembers from their academy days in history class. He struggled not to laugh at her flat voice repeating the phrases that their teachers had expressed with great enthusiasm back in the day. "Boiling Rock Prison is impenetrable. The Avatar cycle is dead. Fire Lord Sozin loved puppies. I am a Kyoshi warrior. Never run in the hallway. We must thank Agni for our existence. The Avatar's bison lives. The Blue Spirit is to not be trusted."

Zuko is truly struggling not to smile at this point, but Mai is thankfully not bothering to flick his knee. She looks like she is having fun rambling random phrases at this point. "I am a purple eyed cat-monkey. I love pie." Zuko took a glance down at his lap to collect himself, and was surprised to see small sparks floating around the edges of his body and starting to creep over into Mai's lap. "You're glowing," Mai stated, breaking her concentration.

Zuko whipped his head up, almost hitting his head on Mai's chin. Zuko couldn't remember how they had gotten so close. The room felt stifling as the temperature rose. He coughed into his fist and tried to bat away the sparks floating around them. "Am I?" he asked, his voice breaking embarrassingly. Mai looked like she was holding in a laugh. Zuko grinned nervously and rubbed the palms of his hands against the tops of his thighs. "Can we do some different training for a little while, like knife practice?"

Mai shrugged, letting the topic drop momentarily. She got up and lent him a hand. "Why not." Zuko wiped his sweaty hands on his trousers before letting his hand slip into Mai's to help her up. The moment their skin touched, a buzz settled underneath his skin, and he was quick to pull away.

The two of them set up several of the dummies and they took turns throwing their choice of knife towards the target. Zuko could tell that Mai was a little bored just throwing one knife at a time. Her mind seemed to be a million meters away, and Zuko had a selfish desire to direct her focus to him. When it was Mai's turn to throw, he subtly nudged her in the side, throwing her aim off so her shuriken got lodged in one of the walls instead.

Mai turned a steely eye towards him and pushed him back. "What was that for?!"

Zuko gave her a cheeky smile and shrugged. "What are you talking about?" His nose scrunched in amusement.

Mai narrowed her eyes at him before taking out another shuriken to throw, lodging it in the dead center. Zuko took his throw, and when it was Mai's turn, he bumped into her again. This time she rounded on him without speaking, pulling out another knife quicker than he could blink. She reached out to hit him against his chest, but he easily blocked her hand, leading her to search for a new area to get back at him. The two of them circled each other in the ring, fighting hand to hand as Zuko disarmed Mai by quickly flicking the knife out of her fingers. A large grin broke across his face, excited for the challenge, but she only scowled and lunged for him, getting a good kick to his shins. Hopping on one foot, Zuko skillfully held her off. Mai poked at Zuko's sides making him squirm a little, and a small triumphant grin slipped onto her features. Zuko pursed his lips and reached out to her sides. She tried to block him, but Zuko went in to grab her by her waist instead of simply poking her. His arms wrapped around her torso and tugged her towards one of the posts that lined the walls. Her back hit the post messily and she groaned. She glared up at him and her hair fell in front of her eyes, slowly falling out of its perfectly crafted bun. Even Zuko's hair lay in a sweaty mess across his forehead. They both fought to regain their breath, staring at each other

Mai glared at him. "What is up with you? Does someone want attention?" She teased, giving him a rare, small smile.

Zuko laughed breathlessly, his eyes sparkling. "Maybe. Do you give up?" Zuko lifted an arm above her head and towered over her.

Mai rolled her eyes and before he could take a breath in, she wrapped her arms tightly around his and flipped him onto the ground, knocking the air out of his lungs outright. She grinned a large smile as she held herself over him on the ground. "Do you give up?" She pulled his legs together with her ankles and kept his wrists firmly against the ground against his side.

Zuko couldn't take a breath in. The young girl he grew up with had grown so strong since he had last seen her when they were just young children. Now she was a young woman who was his equal, just as she always had been. She smiled brightly. Zuko was reminded of the little girl he would play with in his mother's garden. They would play with small play knives and toss and tumble until they were all tuckered out. Zuko couldn't help it. He craned his neck up and pressed his lips hesitantly against hers.

A puff of air puttered against his lips in surprise, and Zuko immediately pulled back. Mai was looking at him strangely. Zuko felt like he had seen many emotions on Mai's face in the few weeks aboard the large ship, but this was one he had never had the opportunity to see. Her eyes were wide, as well as her mouth, but her cheeks were lightly tinted with pink. She was looking directly in his eyes, making him squirm. However, Mai's gaze was pulled to something above his head. One of her hands released his and she hesitantly went to touch one of the sparks just behind his ear. Zuko felt a buzz of electricity run down his spine.

"Are you bending it?"

Zuko blushed deeply and he ducked his head in an attempt to hide the little sparks. "Oh, I uh...no,um...Sorry...I didn't mean to..uh." Zuko gestured wildly with his hands, pointing between the two of them.

"You didn't want to kiss me?" asked Mai. She seemed startled, but Zuko wasn't completely sure at this point.

Zuko held out his hands in a placating manner before reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. "No! I mean yes! I-argh!"

Mai let out a small chuckle that was soft and raspy as she pressed a soft kiss against his cheek, but she hovered close against the corner of his mouth without pulling away. "I wanted to," she whispered. Zuko felt the temperature of the room drastically change and he tentatively grabbed on to her, reaching for her, still unsure. She pressed a soft kiss against his lips before sitting up and leaning away from him. He followed her up, craning his neck to reach her. His head fell back after a moment and their eyes met hesitantly. Mai's cheeks were a deeper red, and she looked scared yet happy, dare he say, as she glanced down at him. Zuko felt the sparks under his skin burst out to wrap themselves around his head, and a few of them flew close to her head, as if asking for permission. Mai grasped Zuko's hand and helped him sit up. They stared at each other, not quite sure how to proceed. Zuko felt right around her, even if being on this boat felt the farthest from right than he had ever felt.

"Come on, Sparky," Mai whispered, breathlessly, her breath rustling the fringe of Zuko's bangs. "We should probably continue our training session." Mai tapped the top of his knee and hovered in front of him, still reluctant to back away.

Zuko was left baffled, laying in front of her. He shook his head. "I don't think I can do that right now,"he admitted, shyly looking away from her, ducking his head in the other direction.

"Why not?"

Zuko pointed to the sparks above his head, carefully.

Mai gave him a funny look and tilted her head. She didn't say anything for a moment, her face threatening to bring up some of her walls, but for some reason they stayed down. "It's okay, they can stay," she assured him quietly, her voice barely reaching his ears.

Zuko was embarrassed to note that his blush deepend as he took a seat in front of her once again. He felt unsure, but with Mai, he at least felt safe. He met her with a soft smile of his own.

The door behind them burst open, making both Zuko and Mai jolt from their position on the floor. "Here you are," the person announced.

Azula strode into the training room, casting her gaze around the room. Her eyebrows rose in surprise at the scene that stood in front of her. She gave Zuko a smirk, but addressed Mai. "Mai, we are almost near land. Are you ready to gather what we need?" she said cryptically.

Mai tapped Zuko's knee in a version of goodbye as she got up carefully and grabbed her overcoat that she left on the side of the training area. "Ready when you are," she said blankly. Her walls were back up, as if nothing had just happened.

Azula rolled her shoulders. "Good. Ty Lee is ready as well." Azula gestured for Mai to leave before her, and Mai obeyed without further ado.

Azula gave Zuko an appraising look, scanning him up and down taking in his bedraggled appearance from… sparring. "Do you want to come with us, brother? It may be frightfully boring, but you are welcome to come."

Zuko hid his grimace at his sister's tone. "Where are you going?"

"We have to stop in a port to pick up a few things. There's a small festival occuring and I thought we all deserved a little fun before going back to the Fire Nation," Azula explained. "You want to come?"

Zuko cast his glance to the door behind Azula, already knowing his decision. "Sure; why not."

Azula gave Zuko a tight, emotionless smile and gestured for him to take the lead to the deck of the war ship. "Then let's go." Azula followed Zuko out of the door "Oh by the way, I would maybe run and grab your dao swords, if I were you."

Zuko looked over his shoulder quizzically, but he saw her gaze was directed towards the remnant sparks that flew around his ears. Zuko held his breath and forced his mental walls up, and the sparks blinked out. "I've got it under control."

Azula gave him an oddly comforting pat on the shoulder. "Just get it under control before Father sees it. You need your firebending to be at its best when we get to the Fire Nation."

Zuko nodded non-committedly.

"Ty Lee and I will go to grab something to prove the Avatar is dead," Azula explained, pointing to the forest on the outskirts of the port. "Mai, you go with Zuko in that direction." Azula pointed to her left which was the denser part of the marketplace of the small, homey port. "See if you can pick up any information about the Avatar's friends as well as pick items from this list of supplies." Azula thrust a piece of parchment into Mai's hands. "We will meet up with you once we are done." Without another word, Azula and Ty Lee broke off from the group into the woods, leaving Mai and Zuko to their own devices.

Zuko was not quite sure where they were, but he knew they were on one of the islands close to the Fire Nation that was inhabited by the Earth Nation. He didn't really know why they were here, so he voiced his question to Mai. "Uh Mai, why do we need something to prove the Avatar's death?"

Mai shrugged. "Azula seemed to think we needed a heart or something like that to prove to your father."

"Couldn't we just get like some red cloth or something?" Zuko asked, trying to hide his shock.

Mai sighed. "Yes, but it would look like we had faked the news if we gave the Firelord something that could have come from anyone."

He glared moodily at the streets of the small port as they made their way into the market. "But the heart of another animal wouldn't be questioned?"

Mai shrugged again. "I didn't say it was a sure bet, it is just a better option. We can't exactly bring back the Avatar's dead body, now can we?"

Zuko hung his head. "I guess...we can't."

Mai patted his shoulder. "Come on, let them deal with that. We have a list of items to find." Mai unfurled the scroll Azula had given her dramatically and read the items off. "Salt, rice, smelling salts, carded wool, more meat for the kitchens-"

Zuko pouted. "I should have stayed on the ship." Mai paid him no mind as she led him by the arm to the first stall to buy the materials needed on the ship. There were people milling around the market buying and selling their wares. A few children run between their feet laughing and giggling. "Why do we have to do this? Why couldn't one of the servants come to find these materials."

"Their Fire Nation uniforms really fit in here, don't you think?" Mai cast a glance over at him. "Stop your whining and come over and help me grab this bag of rice."

Zuko continued to pout but let himself be used for holding the items they needed. Zuko felt that there was no purpose for them to go walking around the market of an Earth Kingdom port. Zuko would much rather stay in the training room with Mai...and get back to what they had been doing.

Zuko coughed at his sudden thoughts and he forced himself to focus on his surroundings rather than his imagination.

"You alright?" Mai asked. She was looking at him like she knew exactly what was on his mind.

A single spark flew across Zuko's nose. He frowned as Mai hid her smile behind her hand.

The sun was setting on the small port town, and a group of musicians played near the center of the marketplace. The soft, jovial music was a good soundtrack for the two young people going from stall to stall. They came upon a cabbage merchant, and Mai asked for five large cabbages in a bag. Zuko mentally groaned, quickly running out of room in his arms. "I think we are going to need to stop by the ship soon," he whispered in Mai's ear.

"We only have one more thing to get, you'll be fine," Mai supplied.

The cabbage merchant raised his eyebrows. "Why are you in such a hurry? You two seem too young to need to rush through life. This little town is well known for their festivals. Why not stay a little longer?" The cabbage merchant pushed an extra small cabbage into their bag. His eye caught on the red hidden under Zuko's coat, and his fingers twitched. "Unless you are looking for trouble…" he said suspiciously.

Zuko quickly moved his cloak to cover his red outfit, suddenly realizing that he should have changed before coming. "It's none of your business," he said gruffly.

"Oh stop it," Mai teased. She put on a show of patting his arm and leaning dramatically to whisper in the merchant's ear. "My husband is just excited to get back home. Please excuse us for our haste. We are escaping my mother's town that was destroyed by the Avatar." The cabbage merchant's eyes lit up.

"I have heard the Avatar's group has escaped to the outer islands of the Fire Nation," he exclaimed, clearly excited to gossip. "My brother, who is also a merchant of cabbages, claimed the Avatar himself blew up his cabbage cart." The merchant shook his head in anger. "That Avatar has blown up nearly all of my family's cabbages. But he won't get mine!" He declared, shaking his finger.

Zuko and Mai shared a look. Mai patted the merchant's shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss." Mai shot a panicked look at Zuko, telling him to take over.

"But Avatar is dead, sir," Zuko butted in.

The cabbage merchant nodded. "Of course, I have heard that as well. If only it were true. There was some dance party that occurred at one of the Fire Nation schools. They say that the boy in the headband was the Avatar" the merchant said forebodingly.

"But that's impossible," Mai protested.

The merchant pursed his lips. "You tell me it's impossible after you travel for a while, young lady. Now you and your husband better be off." He handed them their bag of cabbages. "Take a night off and enjoy the festival, but don't stay longer than that. Something's brewing, I tell you, and a new married couple like the two of you need to be careful."

Both Mai and Zuko were silent as they lugged their supplies back to the ship. Mai took several of the bags out of Zuko's arms, taking her fair share of the weight.

"Is something wrong?" Zuko saw a pensive look resting in Mai's gaze.

Mai shrugged, switching one of the bags to the other arm. "It's just what the merchant said. I don't think he lied, but a dance party?" she asked incredulously.

Zuko barked out a laugh. "The few times I have met the fourteen-year old they call Avatar, I would say that is one of his tamer ideas." Zuko stopped himself. "I mean, if he were still alive. I wouldn't put it past one of his companions to pull a stunt like that."

"When we drop these things off at the ship, do you want to change clothes before we return for the festival?" Mai asked. "Maybe red wasn't the best choice." Her eyes glanced at the red of his tunic.

"I could just say I'm from the colonies," Zuko defended.

"And lie to them!" Mai let out a fake gasp. "I didn't know you could lie?"

Zuko pursed his lips at her. "Har-har."

When they arrived at the ship, they passed off their items to fellow crewmates, and Zuko pointed to the stairs. "I'll go grab another shirt."

"I'll come with you," Mai said, following closely behind. Zuko gave her a look, but she didn't clarify.

Zuko let them both into his room, watching Mai out of the corner of his eye, wondering what she would do. He opened his chest at the base of his bed and rustled around for a green shirt. Mai sat in the chair across from the one mirror in the room and pulled at the pins in her hair. Inconspicuously, Zuko watched her rearrange her hair in a simpler manner, letting her hair buns unwind and curl around her shoulders before pinning certain sections up again. Zuko didn't remember ever seeing her hair down.

"Are you ready to go?" Mai asked, turning to face him. "What?" She looked up at him, confused.

Zuko coughed. "Yeah, let's go." You look beautiful.

Mai and Zuko slid into a comfortable rhythm walking back to the center of the port. Mai was closer than she was before, and Zuko caught himself several times almost entwining his hand with hers. He was starting to run out of reasons why not to.

They grabbed some hot dinner with noodles and a side of legumes and set up camp on a table at the edge of the marketplace. The loud chatter of the village coming to life at night was oddly calming and reminded Zuko of a festival he went with his mom to on Ember Island once. No Avatars or sisters in sight for once, and the food was delicious. Halfway into dinner, the musicians began playing more lively tunes, leading to couples to join in the middle of the square and begin to dance. Zuko watched them with a peaceful expression.

"Did you want to dance?" Mai asked curiously.

Zuko jerked his head towards her. "What? Oh...um? I don't think I know the dance moves."

"I don't think that's the point," Mai chuckled. "It looks more like a free-for-all." They watched as one particular woman was swinging her partner round and round, both of them yelling and laughing zealously.

"Do you want to dance?" Zuko asked, repeating Mai's phrasing.

Mai scrunched up her nose. "I'm afraid I wouldn't be that good," she said sarcastically.

Zuko interlaced their hands, pulling her up. "But you said just a second ago that we don't need to know the moves. Let's just have fun. " Zuko succeeded in pulling her up.

Mai grumbled. "I'm tired," she protested.

Zuko grinned, feeling and looking like a five-year old. "You're stalling." He pulled her by her hand into the dancing crowd, their food soon forgotten.

Zuko brought their hands together, swinging their arms back and forth between the two of them in time to the music. Mai rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh, but let him continue to make her dance. Zuko leaned towards her, smirking at her. Her cheeks reddened of their own volition and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Stop it."

Zuko grinned. "What, Mai-sy?"

Mai glared at him, but her lips twitched at the nickname. "That. Stop it."

"Make me," Zuko teased, almost becoming drunk with the spirits of the crowd.

Zuko stopped swinging their arms and instead guided them around the square in a circle, along with the rest of the dancers. Instinctively, they picked up on some of the dances the others around them were performing. A step to the left, back, then to the front. Zuko spun Mai carefully, watching her like he was entranced. She stepped away from him, then came right back, holding out her arms to him. He joined their hands and they skipped along to the right then to the left. A child or two ran around them. One of the childs' heads bumping into Zuko's leg. He patted the child's head and let them pass. Zuko didn't feel like a prince, nor did he feel like a traitor or fugitive like he had for the past few years. He was just Zuko, and the one in his arms was just Mai. That seemed enough for now.

The cheers from the crowd rose as the night wore on, and at some point Mai pulled her hands out of his grasp, instead grabbing for his shoulders. Zuko paused at the change in position and hesitated in knowing where to place his hands. Mai only sighed and used her hands to guide his around her waist. Zuko couldn't help but shiver at the contact. The two of them leaned closer to one another. In the reflection of Mai's eyes, Zuko saw the sparks flitting around his arms and head. It was like they were in their own little world.

Without him realizing, Mai had taken a step closer to him, her hand resting on his jaw. He gulped nervously, but never took his eyes off of her. She gave him a soft smile that was barely there before pulling away, keeping her eyes on him. "You've been gone for too long," she whispered cryptically.

Zuko hummed. "Why do you say that."

Mai took a while before responding, letting their bodies sway in time with the music. "I missed you."

Zuko barely heard her words. He wasn't sure if he heard correctly, but was too afraid to ask her to repeat her words. He didn't have to worry, however, as her actions spoke louder than her words. She raised on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his cheek, lingering for a few moments. Zuko's cheeks immediately reddened and he gulped audibly when he saw the deep look in her eyes.

He leaned over, his gaze slipping to her lips. He watched her close her eyes and lean into his touch. Just before he bent down to kiss her, the both of them were bumped by one of the dancers. They stumbled to try and regain their balance, but they had made their way rather close to the fountain in the middle of the town square. Zuko wasn't sure who tripped, but the next moment he found himself and Mai submerged in water from head to foot. Both he and Mai spluttered as they broke the surface. Zuko's arm was still around Mai's waist and he tightened his hold around her to help haul them into a sitting position.

"Never thought you'd push me into the water again," came Mai's raspy voice, a little rougher than usual due to her coughing up some of the water from the plunge. A few of the dancers around the fountain gasped in shock. One of them came up, offering help, but Mai waved them away. She easily threw her arms onto the rim of the fountain and hoisted herself up with Zuko close behind her. "This happens a lot," she explained, smirking back at Zuko.

"I didn't do it on purpose. One of us tripped," Zuko defended. He pouted as he tried to wring out some of the water from his soaking hair.

Mai looked at him dryly. Her hair was slick against her head, every inch of her soaked in water. "Oh one of us? You definitely pushed me."

"Like you wouldn't," Zuko countered. He stood up and dusted off his shoulder, evaporating some of the water out of his clothing.

Mai laughed. Her raspy voice made the laugh sound breathy to Zuko's ears. "You're not wrong there" Mai retorted. She got up next to Zuko and pressed a dripping wet finger in the middle of his chest, almost tipping him back towards the fountain. She smirked at him as he glared at her, sticking his tongue out.

Zuko wrapped his still wet arms around her and grinned. "I know." He grabbed her hand and gave the top of her hand a kiss with a mischievous smile. Mai looked away, but Zuko noticed a slight blush dusting her cheeks. Zuko smiled to himself in satisfaction. "But you were definitely the one who tripped and made us fall."

Mai folded her arms across her chest, her wet arms soaking his dried shirt again. She gave him a withering look. "Whatever makes you sleep at night. I'm not the one with two left feet."

Zuko bit out a bark of laughter. "Oh is that how it's going to go?"

Mai rolled her eyes at him, but the heat in her cheeks was still there "Do you make a habit of pushing women into bodies of water," Mai asked, jokingly.

Zuko let out an outraged noise. "I don't push women! That was one time and I was trying to stop the apple from burning you!"

Mai was smiling at him and trying to hide her laughter, but a few giggles sneaked out. Her eyes crinkled up to the point where they curved into small crescents.

"What?!" Zuko exclaimed. Mai tried to explain but she couldn't stop laughing. Zuko had not seen her laugh like this ever, only adding to his confusion. "What did I do?"

Mai laid a hand on his forearm and took several deep breaths to calm her giggling. "You are so unconditionally sweet and honest. I'm glad."

Zuko's heart skipped a beat at her words.

Mai led Zuko back to their table where their food sat cold. She sat on the bench next to him, keeping his hands in hers as she looked up at him, her gaze resting on his scar. "I was worried. You disappeared one day and a few years later you're back. A little changed, but..." Mai paused. "I may not know what happened between now and ...the Agni Kai." Zuko froze as she brought up the touchy subject. It was a conversation that he never knew how to breach. Her hand reached up to Zuko's cheek, but she didn't touch him. She looked into his eyes for consent. Zuko leaned unconsciously towards her and let her hand cup his scarred cheek. A small part inside him flickered to life when her thumb rubbed against the edge of the scar. He closed his eyes, but was suddenly reminded of the cavern underneath Ba Sing Se. Zuko flinched. Mai jumped away from him, afraid that she had done something wrong, but Zuko grabbed onto her wrist.

"It's okay," he rasped. "I'm just not...not used to people touching it." Zuko placed Mai's hand back on his cheek and he purposely leaned into it, meeting her eyes. The moon rose behind them, setting the tone for the moment.

Mai didn't say anything, but she resumed the soft stroke of her thumb against the edges of the ruined skin. Zuko didn't think anything really needed to be said. Zuko leaned forward, surprising Mai. He pecked her cheek. Sparks flickered around them, encasing them in twinkling lights.

"Here you two are," Azula announced. Zuko jerked away from Mai, but Mai seemed reluctant to let go.

"Why are you all wet?" Ty Lee asked, bouncing up behind Azula.

"We thought we'd take a swim," Mai said in a flat voice. Zuko chuckled nervously.

Ty Lee and Mai shared a look and Ty Lee beamed at the two of them. Azula looked at them suspiciously. "You two are hopeless." She shrugged and pointed to the path back to the docks. "Let's go. You can make out more on the ship."

Zuko was going to make a retort, but with a hand on his arm, Zuko kept quiet and only frowned after his sister as the crew came aboard and set off towards home at last.