Mai looked at the full-body-length mirror in front of her. Was she too over dressed? Or not dressed enough?

Get a grip Mai! He's just a kid as if he would look at the details!

Mai looked back into the mirror maybe she should just wear her normal clothes to the earth kingdom. But then it was summer there her clothes would be to warm in the heat. She sighed and looked back in her wardrobe. Everything was red, brown, black or pink (which she hadn't worn since she was eight). Why did everyone wear the colors of their kingdom anyway? And she was going to see the Avatar would care about what she wore?

Mai's family's reaction to her going out with the Avatar although she told them it hadn't been confirmed that they were dating or even liking each other but that didn't seem to matter to her parents. Her father mentioned it was an even better match than the Fire Lord, her mother was already rearranging furniture to a nomadic style and checking wedding services of the region of the air monks, her little brother didn't seem to care while her other relatives spread the gossip throughout the Fire Nation and beyond. Mai had received letters of congratulations and hate from some pretty insipid fans of the Avatar. There was one particular hater that went by the named of 'Aang's Loving Future Wife' but whom Mai traced down (with the help of her father's place in the political status) to be a girl in an Earth Kingdom town called 'Meng'.

She went through the wardrobe again trying to find something that would be half suitable at least and then saw something glistening that had fallen off the rack. She bent down and picked it up.

Orange isn't that bad I guess

XOXOXO

Aang sat on top of Appa lazily picking his finger nails. Mai stared at him. It was dead of night since the trip wasn't going to be long and they had to leave early. It was winter in the Fire Nation so it was absolutely freezing for her in her short sleeved orange dressed that stopped above her knees.

"Hi" she said nervously. Aang heard her and looked at her and then smiled.

"You look nice"

That's it I'm going home right this minute and changing! I probably look absolutely ridiculous in this dress.

"Thanks" she said. She couldn't move as much as she wanted to.

"You want to come up?"

"Sure"

Her body started obey her. But she walked towards the huge fluffy animal instead of away form it. Aang jumped from the saddle and landed graciously onto the ground next to her. He grinned and handed her a red poppy flower.

"Uhhh… I was told you give the girl a flower when you're on a date so…here you go" he said grinning. Mai accepted the flower.

"Okay now assuming you've never had a ride on a Sky Bison grab me and hold on tight okay?"

Mai did so silently and somewhat awkwardly. He wrapped his arms around her waist (she blushed) and jumped and then landed on the saddle.

"Avatar?"

"Aang" he corrected.

"Aang… are we… dating?"

Take those words back Mai. You idiot1

"Well is this a date?"

"Kind of"

"Well then define a date"

"Well you go somewhere together"

"Are we going to somewhere"

"Yes"

"Then there you have it"

"Don't be a smart mouth it makes me feel like a kid!" Mai shouted and crossed her arms.

Oh no. I hope I didn't hurt his feelings.

But Aang laughed instead and then sat on the rider's spot. Now she was confused and frustrated.

"Did I say something funny? Why are you laughing?"

"Well your amusing"

"What?"

"I never met someone quite like you before"

"Well you are nothing like any other guy I have ever known! I get so confused sometimes on what you're going to do or what you are saying or even implying! It's hard!"

"First of all I'm not surprised that you haven't met another 113 year old boy and let's just say I'm…unique"

Mai then did the most unexpected thing she thought she could've done. She laughed. Aang stared at her almost awestruck and then smiled. Mai regained control of herself and then saw Aang look at her and she looked away from him.

"Your laugh…it's nice…I like it. Maybe that's what makes you unique"

Aang turned and told the Bison to fly and it commanded. She had been complimented by the Avatar because of her laugh. She didn't laugh that often and she hadn't noticed that before. She looked at his back and then smiled but shook her head forgetting the thoughts and instead looking at the poppy flower. Mai reached to her hair at the back of her head and then let it out.

It all came undone. Hair toppled over her shoulders in big waves of black locks and stopped at her hip. Her little buns at the top of her head collapsed as well and she undid the pigtails. Her hair was just a massive piece of long black thick wavy hair that blew in the wind. She put some hair behind her ear and put the flower in place and then looked into the twinkling sky.

XOXOXO

Aang and Mai arrived at the Earth Kingdom in the late afternoon the next day.

A/N Okay I know. I know. It takes one flight in this story from there to there in this story and episodes and episodes in the series but hey the Fire Nation was there, they had more people and they had to make sure they were not caught so that's got to put a while in there. Maybe it's just really a quick journey? Well can you just kick realism out the window and understand why I had to do this?

Aang looked at Mai's reaction to the zoo and frowned.

"You don't like it?"

"Oh no it's just that I haven't been to a zoo for a long time"

"Really? Since when?"

"I think I'll keep that to myself "

Aang was silence knowing that was the only answer he was going to get. They walked through and saw the animals in silence. It was awkward for him. He didn't know that much about girls at all. A few times girls would come up to them and gloat over him but they managed to escape without Mai getting harassed. Aang observed her face she looked angry but still pretty- her hair was nice out.

"Oh look it's the Avatar Aang!"

Aang saw a little toddler tugging his pants.

"And it's a princess!"

Aang grinned at Mai's shocked face and blush. The little toddler girl went to Mai and beamed at her smiling.

"Your pretty!"

"Uh- thank you"

"And the flower is beautiful too. Mister Avatar did you get the flower for her"

Aang nodded. The toddler motioned for Mai to bend down and Mai looked at him nervously so he nodded at her as well. She bent down and the girl whispered something in her ear. Mai's face flushed red and she stood straight.

"Um…here you go, you can have this. How about that?"

Mai took the flower from her hair and handed it to the girl. The little girl smiled cheerfully.

"Maya there you are! Are you disturbing other people again?" a mother stomped towards the little girl.

"Don't worry she didn't disturb us at all" replied Aang.

"Oh- uh- Avatar Aang! I'm so sorry for my daughter's behaviour"

"Not at all. She is very cute"

"Well thank you. Good bye!" the mother shushed her daughter away looking embarrassed. The girl waved good bye.

"Good bye Avatar Aang! Good bye Princess!" she called out. Mai blushed once more. Aang wondered what the little girl had said to her.

"So…what did she whisper to you?"

"None of your business" said Mai firmly and stormed off to a little ice cream cart.

Aang grinned once more.

XOXOXO

Mai bent down worried as the little girl put her mouth close to her ear and whispered.

"Are you going to marry him?"

Mai was shocked. Her mind ran through thoughts of her in a wedding gown and Aang next to her formally dressed. She stumbled with words so said nothing and instead stood up and decided to avoid the conversation by giving the little girl something.

"Um…here you go, you can have this. How about that?"

Mai took the flower from her hair and felt herself shaking.

What am I thinking?

Review please!