Mai's gut was churning and her palms were sweating, but years of practice allowed her to keep her face impassive. She followed the orderly down a long hallway, sweeping past him when he opened one of many identical doors. He closed the door behind her, and Mai had to swallow down her instinct that was telling her that she was trapped in a cage. She took a tentative step forward, then another, surveying the young woman that was seated at a table in front of her.

Azula had grown into a beautiful young woman, and for a split second Mai imagined she was looking at the resurrected Fire Lady Ursa. Her face had grown longer, her cheekbones more prominent. She wasn't wearing any makeup, which somehow made her look older. Her dark hair was tied in a low ponytail that hung straight down the back of her chair, and her brilliant gold eyes were downcast, focused on the table. Mai followed the direction that she was looking, and grimaced at the pai sho board that was set up.

"Do you play?" Azula asked, not looking up at her. One ghost-white hand reached out and plucked a tile from the board. The disturbingly sharp fingernails that Mai remembered had been filed down to the quick. Her wrists that poked out of the overlarge sleeves of her robe looked as delicate as twigs, and Mai was struck by how fragile Azula seemed. She was all harsh angles and slender lines, no longer resembling the inferno that she had once been. Azula used to burn, the fire shimmering just under her skin at all times. Now, Mai thought that if she touched her, she would feel ice cold.

"No, I hate pai sho," Mai answered, taking a seat in the chair across from the princess.

"Me too," Azula said, placing her tile down absentmindedly. "Zuko insists, he says he won't come if I don't play. I don't know why, he's absolutely terrible at it. I win every time." She finally looked up and Mai was secretly relieved to see that her eyes, at least, were still burning.

Mai waited with her arms crossed, her body coiled tight as a spring.

"You haven't been here in a while," Azula broke the silence, picking up another tile and running it through her fingers, like a street busker would with a coin.

"After the twentieth attempt, I figured I wasn't wanted." Mai wouldn't put it past Azula to genuinely be offended that she hadn't tried to see her every day for the past decade. A shadow of Azula's former arrogant smirk flashed across her face.

"I'm sorry, Mai," she said, and the words hit Mai like a physical punch in the gut. It was enough to break her collected façade, and she knew her mouth was hanging open. Hearing Ty Lee say that Azula had apologized and hearing the words from the princess herself were two very different things. Still, Mai was not quick to forgive.

"Sorry for what?"

Azula sighed impatiently. "I'm not my brother," she snapped, sounding more like her old self. "I don't have an itemized list of every misdeed I've committed to wallow over." Mai opened her mouth, but Azula continued. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I hurt Ty Lee. I'm sorry I made you fight my battles for me. I'm sorry I locked you in prison. I'm sorry I used you." The list of transgressions, spoken in such a nonchalant way, almost sounded comical. A lump rose in her throat as Azula captured her gaze, an unspoken plea in her eyes.

"Why?" was all that Mai could say.

Azula shrugged her shoulders. "It hurts to be mad at you," she answered matter-of-factly. "I'm tired. I spent years fighting against this place, and I'm tired. I may be in here for the rest of my life, and I don't want to spend that time arguing with ghosts."

"So this is just for you then," Mai couldn't hide the sourness in her voice.

"No!" Azula slammed her hand down on the table, shaking the pai sho tiles off their squares. It took everything in Mai's power not to jump, but she kept a careful eye on the other woman, waiting for the inevitable fireworks.

Instead, Azula took a deep breath in, held it for a few seconds, then let it out slowly. There were no sparks on the exhale, nor smoke coming out of her nose. She opened her eyes, and Mai was struck by the genuine, agonizing sorrow they expressed. She had never seen that on Azula before.

"I don't expect total forgiveness. But you and Ty Lee...you were good to me, and I didn't appreciate it. And...I wanted you to know that I know that." The words were slow and clunky, so unlike Azula's usual sleek speech pattern. That, above all other things, made Mai think that she was being sincere. This wasn't Azula with a clever scheme trying to manipulate her. This was Azula trying to admit she had done something wrong.

It was a good first step.

"Thank you," Mai said simply, and a look of disbelief flashed across Azula's face. "Are you...doing okay in here?"

A grimace. "I'm bored. They've started to let me spar with firebending, but nobody here is any good." Hearing Azula placidly talk about people "letting her" firebend was another surprise, but a good one.

"Zuko won't fight you?" Mai knew the answer to that already.

"Of course not," Azula snorted. "Do you still work at the museum?"

Mai didn't bother to ask how Azula knew that. "Yeah."

"And you like it? You don't get bored?"

"I do, but it's a nice kind of boring."

Azula didn't ask her to elaborate, but Mai had a feeling she knew exactly what she was talking about. "Didn't you just have a birthday?"

"Three days ago."

"Right. When Ty Lee was here."

"Right."

"Did she come here just for you?"

A bashful smile flickered at the corner of Mai's lips. "Yes."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence. Azula appeared to be planning her next pai sho game with her brother; she would move the pieces around on the board, frown at them, then move them again. Sometimes Mai would nudge a tile over. They were almost playing the game, but they were on the same team.

"So," Azula prodded, breaking the silence. "What's this about you and the Avatar?"

Mai rolled her eyes. "Ty Lee is full of it. There is no me and the Avatar." Whatever moment she had thought had happened between her and Aang had disappeared by the next morning, and Aang had yet to do anything else to indicate that he liked her. She was firmly of the belief that both Suki and Ty Lee were seeing what they wanted to see. Mai told herself that she was fine with that.

"Is there something wrong with him? Ty Lee said that he got hot."

Mai could feel the blush go all the way to the tips of her ears. "That's not the point. He's just a friend."

"You're staying with him in the palace." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"There was a kidnapping attempt at my apartment."

"Oh, right. How many did they send?"

"Four?"

Azula pouted. "Only four kidnappers? That's insulting."

"I thought so too."

Azula chuckled, and for a second she looked younger, like the child that Mai had once known. They went back to Azula's pai sho strategy, and had just come up with something they deemed good enough to beat Zuko, and possibly Iroh, when a nurse came by and told them it was time for her to go.

Mai stood to leave, and Azula followed suit, suddenly shy. "Can I hug you goodbye?" she asked. Mai wondered how many more times Azula could shock her today. "I like to get permission. People tend to get nervous when I come towards them," she explained, and Mai didn't think she imagined the hint of pride in her voice. She nodded, and then Azula had her arms wrapped around her, her sharp chin digging into the crook of her neck. Mai hesitantly returned the hug, feeling her heart clench at how bony and frail Azula was. She was afraid to squeeze her too hard and break her in half. Azula pulled back first, and the two women jointly decided not to comment on the tears glistening in the other's eyes.

"You could visit again, if you want."

"I will" Mai found herself promising. Azula smiled.

"Good."


Whatever plans Aang had had for the day were shattered when a messenger came by his room to inform him that Fire Lady Katara requested his immediate attention. Somewhat bemused by the formal invitation, Aang joined the stream of palace workers that were moving in and out of Katara and Zuko's office, reminding him of a colony of worker ants. In her office, Katara was directing the flow of traffic. She wasn't wearing her usual palace finery, but was dressed in her practical Water Tribe clothing. Aang waited for a moment of respite to catch Katara's attention, getting more and more intrigued.

Finally, the room cleared out, everyone given their designated orders. Katara beckoned Aang over with little fanfare, directing his attention to a map on her desk.

"A nickel refinery on the Kushiro River malfunctioned early this morning. There was an explosion, and a lot of oil and sulfur is now polluting the river." Katara pointed out the location on the map, which wasn't far outside Caldera City. "We're working to evacuate the nearby villages, make sure the refinery isn't still dangerous, and of course to clean up the river." She finally looked up at him, her panic turning her smile into a pained grimace. "Think we could get the Avatar's help on this?"

"Of course," Aang replied. "What do you need?"

Katara exhaled a sigh of relief. "We have people on the river working with nets and other filters. But it's going to take a couple of waterbenders to get all the oil and finer pollutants."

Aang put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I'll do whatever I can to help. We can take Appa."

The flight to the refinery was tense. Katara was chewing on the skin around her thumbnail, her gaze skittering across the landscape. Aang was struck by how anxious she was, and how deeply she loved the people of the Fire Nation. Katara had always cared about other people, but it was obvious that she considered the citizens here hers.

"It's going to be okay," he said as soothingly as he could. Katara flashed him an apprehensive smile, not believing his platitudes but appreciating the effort.

As Appa flew low over the still-smoking refinery, all the people already at work in the river looked up and waved. He heard a few people shouting his name joyfully, but more of them were cheering for Katara. She leaned over the saddle and waved back, her eyes glowing. She descended from Appa when he landed, greeting many of the workers by name and offering encouragement. Aang's heart swelled with pride; it hadn't been easy getting the people of the Fire Nation to accept Katara as their Fire Lady, but it was clear how much they adored and respected her now.

Katara and Aang set themselves up along the outskirts of the spill, intending to keep the lightest of the toxins from spreading too far along the river. So far, they were the only waterbenders, though more would be coming in the next few hours. They settled into the rhythm of bending easily, moving the water between their hands and removing the contaminants, which were then dumped in large containers. They worked quietly for a while; purifying the water with waterbending took concentration, and they both had to focus.

"So," Aang broke the silence first. "About Mai."

Katara turned so quickly that the water she was bending went shooting out of her hands, drenching Aang.

"Katara!" Aang yelped, bending the oily water off of himself with a disgusted flick of his hands.

"Sorry, sorry!" Katara took a deep breath, folding her hands against each other. "I'm cool. What about Mai?"

Now, having made the decision to talk honestly about his feelings, Aang found that he had no idea where to begin. After a minute of silence, Katara groaned. "Please Aang, you are killing me. What's going on with you and Mai?"

"I love her," Aang blurted out, and immediately dropped the water he had been working on so he could bury his face in his hands. "I don't know how this happened. I was only supposed to be here a few days, and now it's been weeks and I can't stop thinking about her, and I…" he trailed off, desperately trying to stem the flow of his babbling.

Katara had her hands to her cheeks, though she didn't look even a little bit surprised. "You love her?" she repeated delightedly. "That's so romantic!"

"Is it?" Aang's voice sounded much higher-pitched than usual.

"Yes, it is." Katara moved her hands to her hips. "I don't see what the problem is."

"Well, first of all, I don't even know if she likes me."

Katara's laugh was loud and sharp. "Really?"

His head shot up, eyes narrowed. "Why, did she say something to you?"

Her face softened at his anguished expression. "No, she hasn't said anything. To be honest, I don't know Mai that well. But I see the way she looks at you. She's laughed more in the past two months with you than I've seen in the past decade. You spend hours together, every day, and she still wants to spend time with you. That means something."

Aang didn't look any happier with her reassurances. "Even so. It's not fair on her."

"What isn't?"

"When this Phoenix thing is figured out, I'm going to leave." The statement was blunt, undisputable. There was no circumstance where Aang could spend the rest of his life in one place. Even if he weren't the Avatar, it was in his nature to move, not to put down roots. "It's not a fair choice. Either she sits and waits for me, or she gives up her entire life to join me."

"Have you talked to her about this?"

Aang snorted. "Of course not."

"It sounds like you're making her choice for her." Katara's tone was critical, and Aang opened his mouth to argue. She continued talking over him. "Your biggest problem is that you always want to be the most selfless, so you're the only one that has to make sacrifices. Relationships are about compromise, and that isn't a compromise. Maybe Mai would want to give up this life to travel with you."

"Yeah, because it worked out so well for you," Aang muttered bitterly, looking away.

"Hey!" Katara snapped, shoving one finger in the middle of his chest. "Don't you dare say that. I wouldn't have given my time with you up for anything. Those years I spent traveling with you were some of the best of my life. Yes, I missed my family, but it was my choice, and it was worth it." She reached out to take one of his hands that had fallen limply to his side. "You need to give someone else the chance to make that choice."

Aang was speechless, both from the force and the content of her tirade. "Do you really mean that?" he rasped, trying to talk past the lump in his throat. He had carried that guilt with him, that she resented her time with him, for years.

Katara squeezed his hand, her grin open and loving. "Of course I do. What girl doesn't want to save the world with the Avatar?" He looked away, and she reached out with her free hand to firmly tilt his jaw with her fingertips, forcing him to meet her gaze. "Let somebody give something up for you. It is so worth it."

As Katara dropped her hands from him to begin bending the water again, leaving him standing alone. He thought about Zuko's arguments with his advisors, who insisted that the Fire Lady could never be from the Water Tribe. He thought about Katara, who hadn't been to the South Pole in over a year, but who was making her own life in the Fire Nation. They had both made sacrifices, and yet they were happier together than they would ever be on their own.

"So what do I do?" Aang asked, unable to keep the begging note out of his voice.

Katara shrugged. "I can't tell you what to do."

"Since when?"

"Since you're a grown man, figure it out."

"Kataraaaaaa."

"Oh for the love of—" Katara threw her arms up in the air, sending up a wave of water that threatened to spill everything they had already cleaned from the river. "Go talk to her, you idiot! Tell her how you feel and see if she feels the same way!"

That was, of course, the best, most mature way to handle this. Which was also why he had needed it spelled out for him. "Right," he said decisively, taking his stance so he could begin waterbending again. "I'll tell her today."


"Oh good, you're here. I wanted to talk to you—" Aang blinked. "Wait, what are you doing here? Aren't you working today?" Aang had been expecting to have some time alone in the room to mull over what he wanted to say, and instead Mai was already there, looking just as baffled to see him.

She continued wrapping a thin strip of fabric around her wrist and hand. "I took the day off."

"Are you okay?" For the few months that Aang had known her, Mai had never taken a day off of work. She had gone to work the day after she was supposed to be kidnapped.

"I went to see Azula this morning." The tight line of her mouth did not invite further questioning.

"Oh." He floundered, and for a split second considered just blurting out his feelings. His common sense finally overrode his impatience, and what he ended up saying was, "Where are you going now?"

Mai finished wrapping up both wrists and flexed her hands. "I'm going to train."

"I thought you trained here?" Aang was confused; all of Mai's knives and targets were in their quarters, and Aang was used to seeing her practice with them before dinner.

"With the knives, yes. But I still have to exercise to stay in shape. Not all of us have a thousand bending katas to run through every day." Aang had never really thought about it, but it made sense. Mai was obviously very fit: she could run nearly as fast as him when he didn't use airbending, and he could still recall how her muscles had moved under his hands when they were dancing together.

"Can I come with you?" he inquired, hoping that at some point he would work up the nerve to talk to her. Katara was going to kill him if he didn't get it done today.

Mai looked taken aback by the request, but she shrugged. "Sure. It's not that exciting though."

"I'll be the judge of that," he declared, reveling in the warm feeling that infused him whenever he managed to make Mai smile.

Aang still wasn't really familiar with the layout of the palace, and lost his bearings almost instantly. Mai, on the other hand, confidently led the way, never hesitating or back-tracking. They stopped at a rather unassuming door, Aang trailing along and shutting the door behind them with his foot. The room itself was clearly a training room for non-benders. The floor was covered in rubber padding, and the walls were lined with weapons and weights. Mai shed her outer layer and carelessly dropped it on the ground, leaving her in her light, loose-fighting shirt and pants. Aang followed suit, discarding his shirt by the door.

"Now what?" he asked cheerfully. Mai had started to stretch, her eyes closed as if she were concentrating hard.

"You do whatever you want. I have a routine that I'll go through, it takes about two hours." Mai finally opened her eyes to point at him. "No bending though. If you set anything on fire or blow a hole in the roof, I'm going to be mad."

"That sounds boring. Do you want to spar?"

"With you?" She sounded so scandalized by the offer that Aang was almost offended.

"Yes, with me. I can fight without bending. As long as you promise you don't have any knives hidden away on you."

Mai considered his proposal, then reached into her sleeves and pulled out, quite frankly, an absurd amount of knives. She set them much more carefully on the ground than she had done with her jacket, then met Aang in the middle of the room. "Fine. No bending, no knives. First person to pin the other for ten seconds wins."

Aang lifted up his arms in a fighting stance, his blood singing with the promise of a good battle. It had been quite a long time since he had fought someone without using his bending, and he was craving a challenge. Plus, he reasoned, if he was about to ruin his friendship with Mai by telling her how he felt, it would probably be safer if she had already gotten the fight out of her system.

Without warning, Mai flew in to attack first, striking at his torso, arms, and head with pointed fingers. Aang easily deflected each hit, but he could tell she was testing him, probing for weaknesses. They fell into the rhythm of the fight easily, their investigative blows turning more aggressive. Aang did have to focus a little bit on not bending; he had excellent control over his firebending and wasn't worried about burning her, but he was so accustomed to airbending with every movement that it came to him like second nature. In the spirit of their competition he tried to keep it fair, though privately he thought she would still be putting up a good fight even if he did bend a little. He had never had Mai's combative nature turned on him like this, and he was entranced. Every move was both methodical and lightning fast. He recalled her saying she didn't know how to dance, and he thought it an unjust assessment of her skills. She moved like a dancer, light on her feet, leaping forward in a flurry of attacks and then alighting backwards, out of reach. It was distractingly sexy, and Aang had to waste even more valuable brain power to keep himself from visibly gawking.

Curious to try something new, Aang stepped behind Mai, closely following her movements and slipping his feet so he stayed behind her whichever way she turned. Circle-walking on its own didn't require any actual airbending, and Aang had found it a delightfully entertaining way to infuriate his opponents. One hand was lightly resting on her back, and she twisted a few times, trying to face him. She paused, and then her feet shifted in a familiar way and the next thing he knew, they were face to face. His surprise must have been apparent, because she laughed before ducking down, attempting to sweep his legs out from under him with her foot. He jumped out of the way and faced her again, impressed.

"How did you learn circle-walking?" It didn't make any sense; the airbenders didn't record their bending on scrolls the way that the other nations did, and he had never taught her.

"An earthbending master was fascinated by the airbenders, and made his own bending scrolls 150 years ago," Mai explained. "They were based on his own observations, so I'm sure they aren't totally accurate." She threw another barrage of punches at him, but he was still too astonished to attack her back.

"How do you know how to do it though?"

"I have a copy of the scroll, I used to draw bagua circles on the floor to practice." She lowered her arms a fraction, frowning in annoyance that he wasn't fighting her back. "I'm not nearly as good as you, obviously."

Aang kept staring at her, unable to believe that this incredible woman was the only person he had met in ten years who knew an airbending form. It felt like destiny. The words "I love you" pulsed behind his lips, threatening to spill out.

"Come on Aang, you started this fight," she taunted him, holding her closed fists up again. "I'm not done yet."

He could wait. He would wait. With an unabashed laugh, Aang threw himself back into the fight, reminding himself not to underestimate his opponent again.


Mai knew she was going to win a second before she actually did. It seemed to happen in slow motion: Mai jabbing towards Aang's shoulder, him raising one arm to block her, leaving his torso exposed for one crucial moment. That second was all that she needed. She leapt into him, one knee connecting with his stomach, and bringing him down with her on top of him. Quick as a flash, she had both his wrists in her hands, pinning them to the ground over his head. He struggled to free himself, but she had him trapped. Benders were all the same; they excelled in mid to long range combat, but up this close, with their hands out of commission, they were helpless.

And they were close, she realized. Both of them were panting with exertion, and Aang was glistening with sweat. She was suddenly aware that their bodies were pressed tightly together, their faces only inches apart. Aang was staring at her mouth, and his eyes darkened, hungry and wild. Without seeming to realize it, he licked his lips, his tongue swiping across the tantalizing fullness of his lower lip.

She crashed down into him, capturing his lips in her own, her mouth already open and wanting. Any doubts she had about him reciprocating her feelings were quickly erased. He surged up into her, just as frantic, held back by the iron grip she had on his wrists. He attempted to pull himself out of her grasp, and for a moment Mai delighted in denying him that, restraining him. The growl he made against her mouth was enough to completely undo her, and she finally released him. His hands instantly went to her hips, grinding her against him. One of her hands went to cradle his jaw, her thumb brushing against the corner of the mouth that was on hers, licking, sucking, biting at her lower lip. Her other hand moved downward, caressing his bare chest.

Mai broke away with a gasp as Aang's hands began to creep up under the hem of her shirt, exploring her bare stomach and chest, leaving searing hot handprints wherever he touched. He paused as she stared down at him, waiting. His mouth was already swollen and dark pink, and Mai madly realized that she couldn't stop even if she wanted to.

"Did you lock the door?" she asked huskily, already beginning to roll her hips against him. He stared up at her with half-lidded eyes, before nodding.


Mai had never thought of herself as being very loud in bed. Then again, she had never had the Avatar's head between her legs before.


Afterwards, Mai collapsed on her back on the floor of the training room, Aang's arm pillowed under her head. They were silent for a few minutes, waiting for their racing hearts to quiet down. She turned to look at him and found that he was already staring at her.

"What?" she asked, suddenly self-conscious at the attention. He smiled and nodded towards hers, brushing her cheek with his nose.

"You're beautiful," he murmured. She ducked her head, unable to tell if she was embarrassed or flattered.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked suddenly, remembering their conversation before they had come down to the gym.

"Hmm?"

"Back in our room. You said you wanted to talk."

Aang huffed a laugh. "I wanted to ask you if you liked me."

Mai scoffed. "Fine, don't tell me."

"I'm serious!" Aang rolled so he was on his side and could look down at her. "I've liked you for weeks, and I didn't know how you felt, and I was finally going to just lay everything out and talk to you about it."

The absurdity of the situation caught up to Mai, and she covered her face with her hands to keep from giggling like a teenager.

"So?"

Mai pulled her hands away from her face. "So what?"

"Do you like me?"

"You can't be serious."

"I am! I think I have a right to know."

"You're obnoxious."

"Answer the question, missy. Do you like me?"

"Less and less every minute."

"Hmm." Aang considered that unfortunate turn. "So you just used me for sex then. I see how it is."

It was clearly a joke, but Mai's face darkened. "Don't be a dick," she said harshly, sitting upright. "Of course not."

Sensing his misstep, Aang sat up too and enfolded her in his arms. "Hey, I'm sorry," he said softly, running one hand in a comforting circle on her back. "You're right, that wasn't funny."

Mai buried her face in his shoulder, her lips brushing his collarbone. "I wouldn't do that to you," she whispered. She was remembering a conversation in a restaurant, that felt like a million years ago, about sex versus dating. She vividly recalled Aang's opinion on the difference between the two.

Aang seemed to be following her train of thought, and he pulled back so he could cup her face between his hands. "I know. And I wouldn't do that to you either." With his quiet declaration, Mai melted. The sheer tenderness in his gaze and the way his hands ghosted along her jaw made her feel like she was in one of those tacky romance plays. Well, except…

"We should probably go." None of those sweeping romances involved discussing your feelings while naked on a gym floor, especially not one used by every non-bender in the palace. Mai slowly pulled herself to her still-shaking legs, wincing as her bare skin peeled away from the rubber padding on the floor. The airbender followed suit, and they dressed quickly. Once they were both decent, they headed towards the door. Something caught Mai's eye and she threw her arm up, preventing Aang from reaching for the lock. Without breaking eye contact, she twisted the handle. The door opened easily.

"Whoops," he said breezily, the large grin indicating that he wasn't sorry at all. "I guess I didn't lock it." Before she could say anything, he leaned down and kissed her, this one short and sweet. Mai reckoned she could find it in her heart to forgive him.


Back in their quarters, both having bathed and changed, Aang was struck with a dilemma. Mai hadn't said anything about him joining her in his bed for the night. He didn't want to presume, and he suspected that for her, sharing a bed was a bit more intimate than having sex on the floor of a gym. In their weeks of living together, they had only shared the bed once, and it had been an accident. He hovered in the doorway of the bedroom, peering in at Mai. She had already gotten in her sleeping clothes and was sitting up in bed, reading. He fidgeted there for a minute, then glumly turned to head back to the living room.

"Where do you think you're going?" His head snapped around at her question; she had placed the book down on her lap and was looking at him, chewing on her lip. It was enough of an invitation that he could meet her in the middle.

"Nowhere," he said warmly, entering the bedroom and slipping under the sheets on the side of the bed that she had left empty for him.

"Good," she said, her shy grin matching his own, before picking up her book to continue reading. Aang scooted over until he was right next to her, then nudged the elbow of the arm holding the book with the top of his head. Mai got the hint and lifted her arm up, allowing Aang to mold himself against her side. He rested his head on her shoulder, one arm draped comfortably over her waist. Mai brought down the arm she had lifted up, her hand falling against Aang's bicep. She curved her fingers so her nails gently scraped against his skin, and she began lightly moving her hand back and forth across his upper arm, eliciting goosebumps.

"What are you reading?" he inquired, tipping his head to catch a glimpse of the pages of Mai's book. "Is it for work?"

"No, I read for fun sometimes," Mai countered sharply, though the soothing movement of her nails against his arm showed that she wasn't insulted. "It's about pirates."

"Mhmm," Aang murmured sleepily. "Have you ever met any pirates?"

"No, I don't think I have," Mai answered, her voice low.

"We should go find some, sometime." Aang's voice was muffled as he turned his head into her, breathing in her scent, and Mai hummed in response. Before long, he drifted off to sleep. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming the light kiss that Mai planted on his forehead, right at the tip of his arrow tattoo.


As usual, Aang woke up first the next morning. The first thing he was aware of was something tickling his nose. He wrinkled it to dislodge the disturbance, then when that didn't work he opened his eyes. It was a flyaway from Mai's hair, one that he gently smoothed back down against her head. She was wrapped up in his arms, her cheek nestled against his bare chest. Her own arms were folded up against herself and tucked in between their bodies, and one of her ankles was captured in between his legs. Aang was captivated by the contrast of her dark eyelashes laying against her pale skin, and without thinking he reached out with one hand and brushed his knuckle against her cheek. She made a very adorable sleepy, mumbling sound.

Because he could, he ran his fingers over her face again, tracing the outline of her jaw. She shifted, tucking herself further against him. The next grumble she made sounded more like actual words, and Aang leaned in closer. "What was that?"

"I said, I forgot that you're a morning person," she groused, her eyes still stubbornly closed. "Go back to sleep."

Aang hummed contently, and considered taking her up on that. He thought about ignoring the world and all of its problems, and spending the rest of the day in bed with Mai, lazily exploring each other like they had all the time in the world. It was an attractive fantasy, but they both had other obligations for the day.

Still, he could waste a little time in bed.

One of Mai's arms had snaked out around his waist, holding him close. She finally opened her eyes and tilted her head up to him, and he helpfully bent his head down so she could kiss him. She shifted so she was laying on her back, one of her hands deliciously sliding up along his ribs. She pulled back when he tried to deepen the kiss, dragging a needy whine from him.

"If I have to wake up early, you have to make tea," she demanded, already pulling the blanket back around her in a cocoon.

"Bossy," he huffed, swooping down to give her one last kiss before he swung his legs out of bed.

He was halfway through preparing the tea when a pair of arms curled around him. Mai pliantly fitted herself against his back, the side of her face cushioned between his shoulder blades. "Tired," she grumbled, dragging her feet to stay attached to him as he moved around the kitchen.

"Why don't you go back to bed then?"

"It's cold without you."

She couldn't see his face, which meant that he didn't have to hide his goofy, saccharine smile. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, allowing his breath of fire to warm his body and the air around them. Mai sighed blissfully, and tightened her hold on him. Aang supposed he could get used to this morning Mai, who was just as grouchy but much more cuddly.

She finally released him when he finished making their tea, settling into her usual chair and clasping the warm mug between her hands. The rest of the morning passed the way that all of their mornings did. They drank tea, they argued over what he should make for breakfast, he stood behind her in the washroom and braided her hair. It was hilarious how little they had to shift now that they were together, to the point that Aang kept finding excuses to touch her, to remind himself that the previous evening hadn't been an extremely vivid daydream. He dotted Mai with kisses whenever he could, on her face, her shoulders, her hands. When he was brushing her hair, he swept all of it over her shoulder and pressed his lips to the back of her neck. She shivered at the touch, and he couldn't help but flick his tongue behind the back of her ear.

"Evil," she whispered hoarsely, twisting in her chair so she could thwart his teasing by kissing him. He couldn't say that he minded all that much.

Finally, somehow, they both got cleaned up and dressed for the day. Aang noticed, with a thrill, that she was wearing the earrings he had made for her. He idly speculated on what she'd look like wearing just the earrings, then realized that was a very real possibility for later that day. Already he was kicking himself for not talking to Mai sooner, thinking of all the time that they had wasted.

"Where are you going?" Mai frowned, her third mug of tea clutched in her hands.

"I'm supposed to meet with Katara, there's still a lot of work to be done at the river," Aang answered, one hand already on the front door.

"You're meeting now?"

"Yes?" The statement came out as a question.

"Oh." Mai set her teacup down on the kitchen counter and crossed her arms. "I don't have to go to work until this afternoon. I thought we'd have more time here this morning. Together."

"Oh." It clicked. "Oh." He hesitated, biting his lip. "I really should head out, Katara's expecting me soon."

She leaned suggestively over the counter, quirking an eyebrow. "I guess if you really have to go..." she goaded, that sly smirk dancing across her mouth, and Aang might be a monk but he was still very, very weak.

He was at the counter and had his hands around her in a flash. He felt giddy, almost light-headed, as she eagerly met his kiss, her own arms draped around his neck. When they were both standing up he was too tall, and he maneuvered them so her back was against the kitchen table. She obligingly hopped up to sit on it, opening her legs so he could step in between them. She was hungrily, insistently pulling him towards her, so he had to waste one hand bracing himself on the table so he didn't completely fall over. The other hand was put to much better use cradling the back of her head, fingers tangled in her previously immaculate hair. He experimentally tugged, just a little, and the keening sound she made against his mouth made all the blood in his body rush out of his brain.

It took every ounce of his willpower to take a step back and break the kiss, already panting. Mai frowned and pulled him back into her.

"Spirits Mai, this isn't fair," he pleaded, his mouth only just out of reach. "You're supposed to be the reasonable one."

"I don't think I agreed to that."

"Please be merciful, Katara will kill me if I'm late, then you're going to wait 20 years for your new Avatar boyfriend."

Mai drew back, eyes wide. "Boyfriend?"

"Well, yeah. Unless you didn't want to…" Aang fumbled, hoping he hadn't overstepped.

"No, I...I want to." She was still holding him close to her, her legs bracketing his hips.

"Okay, good." He smoothed a hand over her hair, straightening out the mess he had made of it. "We'll talk more about it later today, okay?"

"Just talk?" she queried, her innocent tone entirely at odds with the fact that her fingers were hooked in the waistband of his pants.

Aang chuckled, risking one last cheeky kiss before he stepped out of her grasp. "No, not just talk. But some talk."

Mai heaved a sigh and hopped down from the table, readjusting her skirt that had gotten hiked up around her thighs. "Fine. Have fun at your meeting." She pulled him into a hug, put her mouth right by his ear, and whispered, "I'm going to eat the last fruit tart," before letting him go. He fondly rolled his eyes and allowed himself one last glance back before he shut the door behind him.


Zuko was alone in the office when Aang dashed in, braced for Katara to scold him for being late. His relief quickly turned to irritation as he waited five, ten, then fifteen minutes with no sign of the waterbender. He usually wasn't too concerned with punctuality, but every second he was standing here waiting was a second that he could be with Mai, alone, in their bedroom. He impatiently paced across the office, his agitation causing the papers on both desks to flutter into
the air. After chasing down yet another scroll that got caught up in a whirlwind of air, Zuko put out a hand to stop Aang.

"Why don't we go find out where Katara's gone?" he suggested, steering Aang out the door and down the hallway. "She was almost ready when I left, I guess something held her up."

Aang first began to grow uneasy when they rounded a corner and three of the palace guards were huddled together, whispering frantically. One of them spotted Zuko and blanched, and the group quickly split apart. More people started running past them, until Zuko grabbed a random guard by the elbow.

"What's going on?" he commanded, an edge of panic in his voice.

"Fire Lord Zuko," the guard visibly gulped, trembling in his grip. "There's...ah...we've been looking for you. There seems to be an issue in the royal bedchamber with Fire Lady Katara."

Zuko dropped the woman's arm and sprinted down the hall, Aang right behind him. The guards stationed outside his bedroom door snapped to attention. The door was ajar, and there were voices coming from inside.

"Somebody tell me what's going on!" Zuko practically shouted, though he was long past the age that he easily lost his temper. He pushed open his bedroom door and saw that there were more guards inside, looking at something on the table.

Fire Lord," one of the maids, Sai, spoke up, wringing her hands together. "I came by to change the sheets and tidy up, and I found that." She pointed to a rolled-up scroll on the table, careful to keep her hand away from it, as if she were afraid to touch it. "Then I saw that the window was broken, and the Fire Lady is nowhere to be found."

With clumsy fingers, Zuko picked up the scroll, showing Aang the seal. It was red wax, with a large bird pressed into it. "A phoenix," he said flatly. Aang suddenly grew cold, and his vision seemed to have receded and gone blurry around the edges. He could barely see Zuko rip open the scroll and scan it, his golden eyes darting across the paper.

"It says he has them." The scroll began to smoke around the edges, and Zuko dropped it before he could burn it to ash. "Daichi has them."

Aang's mouth flopped open uselessly, unable to fully comprehend what was happening. Then it hit him.

Daichi has them.

Them.

Aang tore back down the hallway, ignoring the startled shouts from behind him. He ran so fast a tornado churned in his wake, slamming doors and ripping paintings off the walls. He burst into his room, where Mai should be drinking tea and reading at the kitchen table. She should have looked up with that deadpan expression and asked what exactly he thought he was doing, making such a racket so early in the morning. She should have laughed when he sauntered over to kiss her on the forehead, tell her that Katara was playing a prank on them, that everything was okay.

The suite was empty. The window was shattered, broken glass glittering on the floor. In the middle of the table was a scroll with a blood red seal, pinned to the wood with a Yuyan arrow.


A/N: Thank you to everyone that has stuck with this story so far! We're almost done, haha. Comments are always appreciated!