How to Deal

Chapter One: Love and Marriage

Hello everyone, this is my first Avatar fanfic, but I've been looking forward to it for a while. I've been a big Avatar fan since the beginning of the series, but never got up the urge to want to change anything. Now I have that sort of urge. As you can tell, I'm a Zutarian, even if it didn't happen. If you don't like it, I have no idea why you're still here reading this. I'm not a Maiko basher, I just think that Zutara is more interesting. Plus, who can deny that liquidy hot pull? :D So anyways, the summary for this story is as follows:

Zuko's the new Fire Lord and gets married to Mai. She gets sick and dies, leaving Zuko alone again. Now he must find a way to cope with the death of his first love, disturbing dreams and the trials of being a teenage ruler. Meanwhile, Aang and his friends come to visit and Zuko finds himself slowly falling for an old friend. How does one keep the memory of their first love alive when they're falling for someone else? How does one deal with this sort of conundrum? M for future situations possibly.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Zuko smiled as his Uncle Iroh motioned for him to kiss his new wife. He looked to Mai and leaned in to place a soft kiss on her lips. She put her arms around his neck and he swung her around, never breaking away from her. The watching crowd roared, pleased that their new Fire Lord had chosen someone to help him rule that he truly cared for. It was a happy moment for everyone present in the Fire Nation. Both marrying their first love, drinking in the beauty of it all. No longer a prince and his girlfriend, but a king and his beloved queen. Mai had loved Zuko before he reclaimed the throne in the Fire Kingdom, so it was a real match, not just another teen romance. It was quite a rebirth for the scarred Fire Nation. Everyone seemed to move in slow motion, almost like a dream…

"Zuko, wake up." He opened his eyes and found Mai looking down at him.

"Good morning, love." She smiled as he sat up.

"You were dreaming, weren't you?"

"About the best moment in my life, when I knew you were mine forever." He kissed her and stood up. She already had her robes for the morning on and was handing Zuko's over to him.

"You're such a corny person now, you know that?" She smiled as he nodded with vigor. A laugh escaped her and she walked over to the door. "I'll be waiting for you in the throne room. Don't get too bored." She pulled the door open with a sweet grin and left her husband to prepare for the day. He breathed in deep and slipped his arms through the sleeves of his outfit. The young king examined himself in the mirror with approval. Life was getting better and better all the time. Today had some sort of electric hum in the air, and he couldn't tell if it was good or bad. He brushed off the feeling and placed the fire crown in his hair. It was time to start the morning duties. He strode off quite happily to the meeting room with Mai on his mind.

Mai sat on her throne checking over some documents that needed Zuko's signature. He was still in that damned meeting and she couldn't stand them, so she would always find something that needed to be finished. It was important that they stayed on top of things. She coughed a little and cleared her throat, feeling that something was stuck in her windpipe. She tried to clear it a little more and finally gave up, making a mental note to stop by the apothecary to ask for a medicine for it. The door to the throne room opened and Zuko walked in, escorted by members of the Royal Guard. "I should start sending criminals to meetings, they're torture these days. No one can agree on anything." Mai gave off a giggle and rolled up the last scroll.

"Sounds tiring. Come rest for a few minutes." Zuko nodded with a half smile and sat down beside his wife. She coughed again, a bit harder this time.

"Are you alright, Mai?"

"Yes, why?" She worried that he was noticing that she wasn't feeling well. He shouldn't have to shoulder her worries as well.

"You're paler than normal. Would you like for me to fetch a medic for you?" He stood up as she shook her head and suddenly froze up. Something was stopping her breathing, something wasn't right. She stood fast and tried to stop him.

"No, don't…" She fell and Zuko caught her just before she hit the floor. The Royal Guards ran over beside him and dropped to their knees, ready to jump into any action needed.

"Mai, Mai!" She didn't even flinch once as he shook her and called her name. The young queen laid in her husband's arms, not knowing that she had fallen, out cold as a rock.

"What shall we do, my Lord?"

"Get a medic, quick!" Two of the guards took off out the door and the other two stayed in case they were needed for something else. "Oh, Mai…" All he could do was hold her tight, hoping to give her his own strength so she could stand up again. She didn't wake even as the doctor carried her away.

Mai opened her eyes, finding herself in a room filled with while linen and the smell of medicine. There was also a lingering scent of sick people. The doctor's ward. She turned her head around, letting her eyes take in everything around her. The sun was setting through a window and a chair was placed in the corner. A dark figure was sitting asleep in that chair, or at least she thought they were asleep. "Mai, you're awake." Zuko's tired voice cut through the partial darkness.

"Yeah, how long have I been out?" He stood up and walked over to Mai's bed, playing with her hand. She was so pale, more so than normal.

"Just a few hours, since this morning." He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and pulled the chair closest to him near the bed. Mai's eyes were slightly out of focus as she tried to reach for him. He took her hand and held it gently. There was no need for more pain to come to her just because he was scared. "Does the doctor know what's wrong with me?" Zuko didn't answer; he just stared down at the sheets. "Tell me, I know you know."

"They don't know yet. They're trying to figure it out, but so far, an answer's evaded them." Mai nodded, a lump rising in her throat. "I swear Mai, I'll find out what's ailing you if it's the last thing I do."

"Don't be so melodramatic, Zuko. I'm sure the doctor will find out what's wrong. Until then, just do what you would normally do." He stared at her in disbelief, but nodded. How could she be so calm underneath it all? All he could do though was exactly what she said, go about life like normal. "Go on, get some rest now. I'm sure you've been worrying all evening."

"If you say so, I'll come back for you in the morning. I love you." The lump in her throat rose higher as the tears met the edges of her eyes. She had to find out what was going on with her, if only for him.

"I… love you… too, Zuko." The tears started to fall as he kissed her. Their first night apart since they'd been married, but she couldn't worry him further. He'd be to see her in the morning. She had to stay strong for that, even if she was scared. They broke apart and he looked at her one last time before he closed the door. As soon as he was outside the wooden door, he let the tears fall. They hit the floor like diamonds and he strained to keep from his cries reaching through the other side of the door. What if something deadly had caught her? No, he couldn't think that way. He would wake up tomorrow and she would be better. Maybe not completely healed, but better. He walked down the hallway to his room and wiped away the tears lingering on his cheeks. He would find out what was the matter, that's all there was to it. His first priority at the moment. He reached his room and laid down on the red silk sheets, crying himself to sleep.

I'd like reviews peoples, so if I can get at least one review, I'll update. Until then, ja ne!