Chapter Eight

"Yes," She whispered, "Please, stay with me here."

Zuko's expression hardened, and he leaned back the tiniest fraction of an inch, "Yue… that's… a lot to ask for."

Yue looked away, "Oh, okay." She whispered. "I understand. It's a selfish request anyways."

Guilt panged Zuko. He clasped his hands in hers, "Hey," He murmured, gazing up at her, "I'll think about it, okay?"

She blinked, an infectious smile springing to her beautiful face, her sapphire eyes twinkling with joy, "Okay," She uttered, leaning in close, pressing her forehead to Zuko's. "Think about it."

Catching sight of her contagious delight brought the smallest simper to his features. He leaned into her, their lips barely touching. He intertwined his fingers with hers, closing his amber eyes. I understand why she wants me to stay… I never want to leave her side. But what about her fiance?

Zuko inwardly grimaced at the thought of Hahn and his ugly demeanor. Zuko thought about how the warrior had shamelessly groped Yue in broad daylight, his being flooding with disgust towards the savage. He couldn't let his precious beloved be sodomized by such a brute, thick-headed, animal.

The two, both still within the security of eachothers hold, drifted off to sleep some time later, none both entirely awake of slumbering, dancing on the line of seeing and dreaming.

The first dreg of sunlight snapped Zuko out of his lucidity. He opened his eyes fully, glancing down at a still dozing Yue. His heart stopped in his throat. He had never seen anything on this Earth as perfect as she. Her hair had slightly unraveled, the loops of white had come undon and had fallen over her face, still held upright by the crowning decoration. He slowly and gently lifted on large piece of hair off of her face, smiling to himself and at her. Her eyes fluttered open, squinting a bit in the newly risen sunlight.

Yue let her eyes adjust. The fire in the hearth had shrunk down to a few minute embers, and the small cottage was ghastly cold. She blinked again, only to meet the gaze of Zuko, smiling down at her in a way that the sun beams down upon the sea. She smiled too, sitting up on her elbows, yawning. "Early, isn't it?" She croaked, her throat dry, her breath visible.

Zuko shrugged, lying down beside her. "I rise with the sun," He stated, burying her face in the crook between her neck and shoulder.

Yue shuddered at the tender embrace, melting into the prince. "You don't seem all too awake," she pointed out as he closed his eyes, chin resting upon her shoulder.

"I just don't want to leave this place," He mumbled, sighing contently.

Yue shivered again, feeling his hot breath against the skin of her neck. The cold had seeped in through the walls of the cottage and was slipping through her dress.

"Are you cold?" Zuko asked, propping himself up on one arm, his shadow casted upon her.

"A bit," Yue replied, looking up at him.

He stood and walked over to the fireplace, took in a breath and sent a powerful blast of fire on to the wood. Yue gazed in awe at his firebending. She always thought that fire could only bring destruction and death. But it shed warmth, light, and life upon others when used properly.

The two stayed there, in the sanctity of each other's company, until the sun had fully risen. Zuko put out the fire, helped Yue to her feet, and opened the door, casting them both into a frozen, winter-locked world.

Yue clung to Zuko's arm as they maneuvered back into the palace. They didn't retreat back to their respective quarters, however, and lingered in the front of the palace.

"Do you want to go walk around the tribe a bit?" Yue asked Zuko, her gloved hand nearly holding his.

Zuko shrugged, "I guess so."

Yue and Zuko descended the icy staircase and continued walking past the ice-sculpted totem poles and fountains. Yue had looped her arm through the crook of the prince's elbow as the leisurely walked through the palace square.

Zuko froze as a snide, entitled voice filled his ear.

"What are you doing with my wife?" Hahn demanded, coming from behind them, arms crossed manically, legs spread apart wide in a dominant stance.

Yue sighed, shrinking physically, tightening her grip on Zuko's arm. "Hahn, I'm not your wife… yet."

Hahn purposely ignored her, squaring his shoulders at Zuko. The firebender's hatred seethed inside him, a dragon-like fierceness awakening deep inside. Zuko glared into Hahn's steely gray-blue eyes. The warrior sported a challenging look, his face tweaked with a defiant, threatening expression.

"That is my wife, fire boy." Hahn growled, stepping forward, grabbing ahold of Yue's wrist. "Now give me back what's rightfully mine."

Zuko's amber eyes flashed in fury, "Yue does not belong to you. She is not an object. Now leave before I have to make you."

"I'd like to see you try." Hahn said, stepping closer to Zuko, placing his hands on the prince's chest and pushing him backwards forcefully with his war-trained muscles.

Zuko remained stable, dropping his arm and letting Yue's hand fall away. She gave him a pleading look, which he returned with a warning one. She stepped back, cautiously as Zuko lunged at Hahn, who stepped out of the way just in time before Zuko's fist made contact.

Hahn and Zuko swung at eachother, back and forth, before Hahn's fist clashed against Zuko's jaw. Zuko let his clenched hand swing straight into the warrior's abdomen, knocking him back.

Yue nearly screamed as Hahn gained composure again and went to punch Zuko in the throat. Zuko caught the balled hand quickly before it cut off his air flow. Hahn snarled in his face, the two boys almost chest-to-chest.

"Have you turned my little specimen into a whore?" Hahn growled in Zuko's face.

Something inside Zuko snapped at these words, and he knocked the pompous young man to the ground, drawing fire from his fists. Fear registered on Hahn's face and he got up, running backwards, quickly away from the roaring flames emitting from Zuko's hands.

Yue screamed out loud, the crowd that had gathered to watch the fight collectively gasping at the sight of so much fire. Zuko was oblivious, his rage had taken over. He shot a bursting stream of inferno after Hahn, missing cloesly and striking an ice-made totem pole. The sacred statue promptly began to melt, Hahn vanishing from sight.

The crowd screamed, and Zuko finally realized them. Among the crowd, he saw Yue rushing towards him. He looked at the mess he created, and stormed away from her, finding privacy in a secluded alleyway, hidden away from the square.

Yue had followed closely behind and found him easily, brooding and alone, hands tangled in his own, dark hair.

"Zuko…" Yue started, inching closer to him, a bit afraid, "It's… it's alright."

"No!" Zuko nearly shouted, yanking his face up to hers, "See, this is exactly why I can't stay with you here!"

Yue blinked at him, "They aren't afraid of you, Zuko. They were just startled." She tried to reason with him, not exactly convincing herself.

Zuko chuckled darkly, "Of course they're afraid of fire. The whole world is afraid of fire. Because all it does is destroy!" He yelled out, pacing.

"Zuko, I-" Yue started to be cut off.

"Fire has killed, fire has uprooted lives! What do you think caused this scar? What do you think killed your mother?" He hollered, his voice echoing throughout the small, cave-like, back passage.

Yue backed away, frozen in shock, unable to respond. Alarm was obviously splashing through her eyes as she watched the boy she loved unravel.

"It certainly wasn't by the hand of a waterbender," He sneered, almost to himself as he stopped pacing, his back turned on her.

Yue knew, of course, that he was right. He was right that firebenders had killed, destroyed, and changed many of the beautiful things in the world, but Zuko had unintentionally shown her that fire was more than destruction.

She inhaled deeply, briskly walking towards him, standing beside the angry prince. "That's not how I see fire," She whispered, taking his hand.

He pressed his head against the frozen wall and he felt Yue's hand close over his. "I… I'm sorry, Yue." He murmured, squeezing his eyes shut.

Yue leant in, pressing her lips against his right cheek, squeezing his hand. "You know that I love you still, Prince Zuko." She breathed in his ear sweetly.

He raised his head, turning to face her, kissing her lips softly, "I will always love you, Princess Yue."

She leant her forehead against his and wallowed in his warmth. She felt him break away, and she looked down to see him, kneeling on one knee, clasping her left hand in both of his. She gave him a quizzical look, her white brows knitting.

"Marry me," He asked, his amber eye searching hers.

A/N:

Sorry about the wait! I've just been procrastinating, trying to find out how to organize everything in this story, if that makes sense! Thanks to all my lovely and loyal readers! Shout out to Kyra-sensei, also! Please review! Chapter Nine will be coming shortly!

-avatla

p.s. i'm sorry if this is a some sort of filler chapter... it's quite short and uneventful... except, obviously, the last bit!