A/N: Enjoy :)

A door slammed shut and a black haired woman left her family home. To everyone who passed by she looked bored and impassive, but that was only the facade that she learned to put up.

Mai made her way to the palace, so she would finally have some peace of mind from what had just happened. The guards greeted her with a bow and let her pass the gates. By now they were used to her, seeing that she was the Fire Lord's girlfriend. Going through the palace she reached the big garden and sat down on her favorite place near the turtleduck pond. Sighing loudly she thought back to what had happened between her parents and her.

Their relationship had been full of difficulties since day one and Mai had the feeling that it would never get better. She hadn't been allowed to speak her mind to not jeopardize her father's political career and her parents had only seen her as a tool to gain their family a higher standing. Always had her parents tried to make her into someone that she wasn't and Mai had enough of it. Her only way of dealing with that had been to stop showing her feelings to anyone. It was a strategy that had worked, at least until she had met him.

"I thought that I would find you here." The deep voice of the very same man, who she had just thought about, pulled her out of her thoughts.

Mai turned around to come face to face with him.

"How did you know that I was here?"

"The guards let me know that you entered the palace."

"Always these noisy people telling the Fire Lord everything." Mai rolled her eyes.

Despite her sarcasm she was glad that he was here. It still amazed her that he seemed to put her in a better mood just by being here with her. When she thought more about it she should have known that he already knew where to find her, it was their favorite spot in the palace after all.

Zuko sat down next to her and broke the silence once again.

"Don't I, as the Fire Lord, get a proper greeting?"

At his words Mai shook her head with a smirk on her lips.

"No, you as the Fire Lord not, but you as my boyfriend maybe."

Zuko grinned at her comment and leaned over to press a soft kiss to her lips. When he pulled away and rested their foreheads together she closed the distance between their lips again and lay her arms around his neck. They weren't this affectionate in public, but when they were alone together they allowed themselves to be like this.

After they had ended their kiss Mai couldn't help but relax a little. Sitting here together near the turtleduck pond in a comfortable silence she even had to smiled slightly. However it vanished after a few seconds, because the fight with her parents was still fresh on her mind.

Zuko took one of Mai's hands in his own and stroked her knuckles affectionately. He still couldn't believe that he had ended up with such an amazing woman by his side. Not only was she a strong fighter with her knives, but also a beautiful person in every aspect. He knew that he was often temperamental and hotheaded, but she accepted him with flaws and all. It made him thankful to have such a wonderful woman as his girlfriend and he intended to never let her walk out of his life.

The young Fire Lord knew that he wasn't the most romantic man in the Fire Nation, but he hoped that she knew how much he loved her. He never outright told her, but that wasn't how it worked between them. No words were needed between them to know that they both cared deeply for the other. It was all in the looks they gave each other and the small gestures. Looking into her beautiful golden eyes now, he could see that she was angry and hurt. Squeezing her hands gently he spoke up.

"What happened?" The concern was evident in his voice.

Mai's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"I see the anger and hurt in your eyes."

That was something Mai was still not used to. Everybody else who would look at her right now would have seen a bored and uninterested young woman, but Zuko could see what she really felt. It amazed her every time that he could see right through her facade. She had once thought that after practicing her impassive look her whole life, no one would be able to see her feelings, but he proved her wrong every time.

"You can tell me. Anything." When Mai hesitated he asked softly. "It's about your parents, isn't it?"

Again Mai could only look at her boyfriend in wonder. He could read her when everyone else failed. Maybe two people could really be soulmates and maybe Zuko was hers. Shaking her head slightly to clear her mind of such unfamiliar thoughts, she remembered that she had to answer him.

"Seeing that Azula is in prison and Ty Lee is with the Kyoshi Warriors that leaves my parents to annoy me."

She tried to mask her feelings with sarcasm, a tactic she had developed over the years. Zuko looked deep into her eyes, pleading her to go on.

"Starting all of this was that they told me that I interfere too much in your business by giving you my opinion about political decisions and coming with you to meetings. They want me to not speak my mind and be quiet like they forced me to be my whole childhood." Mai averted her eyes from his and looked at the pond with the turtleducks swimming happily around. "From there it went downhill fast. Apparently I look inappropriate with my hair completely down and maybe if they thinks a little more about it they will find even more things."

Zuko lay a hand on her cheek and turned her head slightly so they could lock eyes again.

"Your opinion is the most important one to me. I know that I can fully trust you and you're very helpful with all my political decisions. Your parents are completely wrong about everything they said. I like your hair open and don't let anyone tell you that you aren't beautiful, because you are perfect like this."

Mai blushed slightly, not used to compliments and this sort of support. She couldn't describe how thankful she was, so instead of using words Mai used their own way of communication. She encircled her arms around his neck and closed the gap between them until their lips met in a loving and passionate kiss. Zuko smiled into the kiss and pulled her closer by her waist to deepened the kiss.

This was their way of expressing their feelings for each other. They didn't need to tell one another how much they cared and loved each other, they already knew it.

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day :)