Amethyst

A/N: Man, this cold just won't go away! Wrote this chapter with a fever, so it could be better. But, this is one that a lot of you guys have been looking forward to! Thanks for the feedback!

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Thousand

When she got word that the United Forces flag ship was on its way to dock in the harbor, Asami couldn't resist the smile that spread across her face. Iroh wasn't gone for long this time around, only a few weeks, but she was surprised by how much she missed him. It felt so natural to just spend time together that she hardly even noticed the time pass. She liked the warm comforting feeling she got when he stood beside her and the jitters that ran up her arm when their hands occasionally touched. He melded so easily in her life that she started to wonder how there was a time in her life where he wasn't around.

But, despite how acutely she felt his absence, she didn't squander her time without him. She spent many hours in the factory, pushing the production of the new line of Satomobiles. Faster and smoother, the cars were her pride and joy and her dedication to the project shined brightly on the day she announced them to the world. The world responded to her enthusiasm, and she could hardly get the smile off her face as she read the sales report the following week. Her employees threw her a celebration for the success of the new line. They kept calling it "the start of a new era for Future Industries" and Asami was surprised to see the same words printed across the front of the city's newspapers.

It was incredible.

More than a year's worth of long nights and early mornings re-imagining, redesigning and rebuilding the company from the ground up suddenly felt so worthwhile, so rewarding. For all the doubt that she had faced and all the challenges she overcame, she managed to pull herself through and prove to the world that she was more than capable of handling Future Industries.

But most of all, she was proud of herself for never giving up.

It was two weeks after the announcement when Iroh returned. She wasn't sure if he had heard about it all the way across the ocean, and she wanted to be the one to tell him about her success. She truly missed him during the time that they were celebrating, for there was no one she wanted to share that moment with more than him. So when she heard about his arrival, she put a few of her most trusted employees in charge of the factory and went to meet him at the pier. The ship was just pulling into the dock when she arrived, and she went to stand alongside the small crowd gathered to greet the crewmen on their homecoming.

She admitted to being a little nervous as she waited to see Iroh emerge from the ship and her heart gave a small, excited flip when she finally saw him. As General of the United Forces, he wasn't required by any means to help out with the menial work upon his ship, but Iroh wasn't the sort of man to squander that privilege. When she saw him, he was helping his crew secure the ship into port and carrying boxes of cargo from the hull to the supply truck waiting to take their delivery to the correct places. It wasn't until his men started trickling away to greet their waiting loved ones that he saw her.

Her smile grew big as his eyes brightened and a wide smile crossed his face. He nearly dropped the box he was holding in his haste to put it down and practically ran over to sweep her into his arms. She let out a surprised laugh as he lifted her off her feet and spun her around. He eventually placed her back on her feet just to kiss her fully on the mouth.

"You. Are. Amazing," he said, enunciating each word with another kiss. "I heard about Future Industries' success all the way in the Fire Nation!"

She laughed. "Really? That far away?"

"Everybody's talking about it, and it's all so favorable, I just-" He kissed her again. "I love you, Asami."

She blushed in surprise, her smile widening. "I love you too, Iroh."

He stared into her eyes for what seemed like a long moment and Asami's heart fluttered a bit as he took her hands into his. He gave them a gentle squeeze.

"I know this seems sudden," he said. "But, will you marry me?"

There were a thousand ways he could have asked, a thousand different situations and scenarios that she could have dreamed of. But in that moment, with his hands warm around hers and a lingering, slightly nervous smile on his face, she only had one answer.

"Yes," she said with a delighted laugh. "Yes, of course!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A/N: :'D This chapter makes me so happy. It reminds me of how my fiancé proposed to me. Thank you guys for reading!