"The Firelord will be with you shortly; he is changing now," bowed a servant, leading Mai into Zuko's sitting room. The room was lavishly furnished, as usual, and the setting sun gave the room a cozy ambience, something that Mai was used to. This was the best time to get Zuko at ease, which made it Mai's favorite time of day.

Mai took a deep breath in as the screen door to the room closed with a soft whoosh and click. She gravitated towards the balcony, drinking in the evening air that was warm and sticky with coming rain. Her hands shook a little as she gripped the balcony's edge. It was easy to just look out into the darkness and push away her thoughts. It was easy to easy her muscles and slump against the railing of the balcony. The hard-wired mask was lifted, and her lips turned down as she watched the way the tops of the trees blew with the coming storm.

"Was your day good?" Zuko snuck up behind her, his voice raspy.

Mai looked over her shoulder and the corners of her mouth lifted at the comfy, loose tunic Zuko had thrown on (it was the comfiest thing he had and he wore it practically every night, much to his manservant's dismay). She followed him with her eyes as he came up beside her on the balcony, melting into his side with ease. "It was fine."

Zuko hummed, his eyebrow raised. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as a servant came into the room behind them, setting down a tray of meats and side dishes and a hot teapot of water with loose tea leaves to the side.

"How was yours?" Mai interrupted before Zuko could ask her anything. "Did the budget ever get finished?"

He gave her a look, but ultimately seemed to let it go as he guided her back into the sitting room.

"Did the budget ever get finished?"

Zuko groaned playfully, falling back on his back as he shoved a slice of meat into his mouth. "No! They still haven't decided where they want the money to go if it's not to the military. I keep suggesting we need to bolster our farming district, but these council people are just automatically trying to feed into our military. It's like they've forgotten that the war is done. When I bring it up, they just reason that we need to keep our defenses in case someone invades. It's ludicrous, and don't get me started with them hinting at every other sentence that I need to carry on my lineage. Do you think they would be okay if I put Sokka's name down?"

"I think he would be overjoyed," Mai said, the corner of her mouth lifting up. She played with the fringe of the carpet and frowned a little, her mind running in circles as she remembered what those men had said in the library earlier that day. She didn't want to worry Zuko; he already had so much on his plate, but she couldn't help but wonder. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something," she finally said after they had been eating for a while.

Zuko's eyebrow was up again.

Mai took a breath, keeping her face neutral. "I was in the library this morning, and I heard some people talking about Avatar Asa and her husband Firelord Itoku, and I was wondering if you knew why I don't have access to the scrolls about them?"

Zuko shrugged. "I don't see why you wouldn't be able to access them. Did you talk to the head librarians?"

Mai pursued her lips. "Yes, but they were the ones to tell me I didn't have 'clearance'."

"Then maybe you don't have clearance, I don't know," was all Zuko replied with.

Mai huffed, frustrated at Zuko's lack of understanding. "But you make the rules. What if I need to get information about the past budgeting and past Avatars and Firelords, but I can't see them because I don't have access? It doesn't make sense."

Zuko took a sip of his tea and looked at Mai tiredly. "I don't know what you want me to do, Maisy. I can't exactly just change the rules and let you-"

"But you do make the rules," Mai protested. "Everyone should have access to the history of the world, don't you think?"

"Mai," Zuko said sternly, looking more frustrated by the minute, only making Mai's anger rise as well. "If it's a rule, I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason why-"

"Why can't you just listen to me for once!"

"You hardly even talk!" Zuko blustered, his chest puffing out. "I can't read minds Mai!"

Mai crossed her arms. "Well maybe you should start learning. That way you would at least be thinking about something!" Mai shouted, glaring at him with a burning passion. The blood underneath her skin burned like fire, coursing with power and anger.

Zuko bit his lip and groaned, face palming. "Wait, Mai, hold on." He held his hands up in surrender.

Mai pushed her bangs out of the eyes, her eyes burning, cold. "What," she snapped.

Zuko bowed his head. "I didn't mean what I said. I care about your opinion, I really do," he emphasized, "I'll talk to Councilman Shiro and make sure you get access to what you are supposed to. I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you the first time." Zuko reached out with his hands, but waited a few centimeters away from her, letting her make the final choice.

Mai grasped his hands hesitantly. Her brows knit together and she stared at Zuko in silence for a long time, analyzing the look on his face. "Okay," she said quietly. After another pause she said "I'm sorry for doubting you. I know you didn't do it on purpose I just-"

"It's been a long day hasn't it?" Zuko finished.

"Longer than you could ever imagine, especially with having to look for a new home on top of it all," Mai groaned, scrubbing her face with her hands.

"What do you mean find a new home."

Mai froze, biting her lip. Shitting fireballs. "It's nothing."

Zuko gave her a stern look as if to say: 'we just talked about this.'

Mai rearranged herself on the floor, stuffing her mouth with food to prolong telling him about her father and mother. Surely he had heard about her father making it off with her family's money and running like a coward…but maybe not. "My mother is selling the house."

Zuko spluttered, obviously not expecting that sentence. "What do you mean she's selling the house?"

"She and Tom-Tom are going to live with my Aunt."

"Are you going…with them?" Zuko asked slowly, his knees nudging hers from under the table as she shifted closer to her.

"No. I refused to go with them. I have a job here, and I want to stay here," Mai said resolutely.

Dinner long forgotten, Zuko dropped his slice of bread. "What-what started this, what-why?"

Mai fiddled with her fingers, desperately wishing for a blade to fidget with. "My father took our money and ran. We don't know where he is, but I don't care. I'm staying here."

"But you don't have a place to stay," Zuko said, his hands reaching out to hers unconsciously.

"I'll find somewhere-"

"You can stay here if you want. I'm sure we can get one of the guest rooms ready or you can stay with me, I don't mind," Zuko went on, the left side of his face crinkling with worry.

Mai laughed softly, all matters forgotten and she lay a hand on his scarred cheek, gently rubbing the scar tissue with the pad of her thumb. "I knew you would say that. My mother wanted me to throw myself at your feet and ask for a place to stay in the palace, but I'm okay living downtown for a while. I've never owned a place of my own."

Zuko hummed, closing his eyes at the sensation. His eyes crinkled in laughter as she regaled the tale of her afternoon, but Mai could still see the anger and worry etched into his face.

"My mother probably wanted me to marry you right away" Mai rolled her eyes. "She thinks we are ruined because my father ran away. She's not wrong, but she's always so dramatic."

Zuko was quiet, just staring over at Mai thoughtfully. He ran his thumb across her wrist and played with her fingers before he finally spoke up. "Would it be such a bad thing to marry me?"

Mai gave him a look, her eyes narrowing. "I thought we talked about this."

"Oh no, I didn't mean it that way!" Zuko spluttered, holding his hands up in defense. "I know you handle yourself fine, and I know we agreed to wait, but your mother doesn't know you very well if she thinks you would go down without a fight."

Mai gave pause and pursed her lips. "My mother doesn't know me," she conceded. "It's not like it's a big secret, but she and my father haven't talked to me really since Tom-Tom was born."

"I'm sorry," Zuko said.

Mai let out a dry laugh. "Why are you sorry? It's their fault; they are the ones who never thought to get to know their daughter before they tried to get rid of her. A lot of families are like this though, you probably know best," Mai ended with a sad lilt in her voice, looking down at her lap. "But my life hasn't been hard really, so I shouldn't complain."

Mai felt Zuko's hand pet her head softly, smoothing the hair against her scalp, making her melt where she was. "You can always complain to me. Agni knows I complain and whine enough, so I deserve to listen to someone else for a while," he said with a laugh.

Mai looked up at him and met his smile. He leaned down and she met him halfway, kissing briefly. "Thank you."

Zuko held her close, pressing her head into the crevasse between his shoulder and neck. "You don't need to thank me."

Little firefly-like lights bounced around the room. The two returned to their dinner, turning to cheerier topics. Mai felt much lighter walking back to Councilwoman Sheiyi's home and wrapping up in some borrowed night clothes. However, it still took a long time for Mai to fall asleep as the haunting words of her mother echoed in her mind. The words chased her in her dreams, leaving her exhausted when the morning sun rose. The only thing that got her out of bed the next morning was the hope that maybe having a place of her own would help open a new chapter.

Hello Readers! Here is a small chapter that went through several edits, but I wanted to give Zuko and Mai a space to talk about some things and go through some communication issues that I think the two would have. I didn't like how in the comics Zuko and Mai broke up so many times, so I kind of wanted to write this story to display Mai and Zuko in a different light because they do really like each other, and I think some miscommunication wouldn't change that. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter, there will be more to come :) Please feel free to leave a comment, favorite, or follow if you would like, and until I write again, TTFN!