Firelord Zuko, ruler of all of the fire nation and owner of countless (useless) war medals, fell willingly into his girlfriend's arms.

Er- her lap.

Admittedly, Mai hadn't expected her boyfriend to flop gracelessly onto the floor to clutch at her skirts while she was reading a book, but she took it in stride. "Something wrong?" she asked, voice flat. Zuko didn't remove his head from where it was resting on her lap.

Instead he decided to display his maturity.

He set the curtains on fire.

Immediately a swarm of servants emerged from the shower to douse the flames. They quickly began the tirade on not destroying Fire Nation artifacts.

"As much as I appreciate the babysitting," Mai's voice was biting now. The servants flinched as Zuko smirked into her skirt. "We've proven to be able to handle ourselves. I promise our glorious Firelord won't be setting fire to any more of the decor."

"I don't promise anything," Zuko muttered. Before he could react, her knives were pinning his arms to the couch.

"There." Mai said. The servants looked like they wanted to protest the ripping of the upholstery, but her voice clearly proclaimed the matter done.

The knife thrower's cool anger was far too dangerous to be messed with.

The firebender looked up from her skirts for the first time. The bags under his eyes were more prominent than ever; his mouth was set in a frown. He didn't look like the same man who stood before the kingdom at his coronation only a year ago.

"Can I be freed now?"

The knives were carefully pulled from the couch and placed back into the hiding places in her clothing.

"More assassination attempts?" she asked. Her hand reached out to push his hair out of his eyes and grazed his scar. Zuko had learned to identify her affection in her face.

Her eyes lost the hard look she shot at everyone else. Her lips turned upwards in a slight smile. Dark eyebrows weren't knit like they were when she was displeased. A barely there lilting tone came into her voice.

After years of knowing her, he could read her like a book.

"Of course," he growled, "I don't understand! Everyone was so unhappy with my father, and yet the second I take the throne they're begging to have him back!"

"Not everyone," Mai reminded him.

"You're right," Zuko said, "Just all of my people." Mai rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm one of your people," she countered, "And your Uncle. And the people at your coronation."

The Fire Lord pouted.

"I'm not going to sit here and listen to you feel sorry for yourself," Mai decided. "And I'm not about to let you get killed either. I'll have to sleep in your room from now on."

"Wait- what?"

Mai rose an eyebrow, challenging him.

"Clearly your guards are worth nothing. You need another layer of protection from someone who can actually protect you. I've already proved I can do it, and I'm not losing sleep standing outside your door all night."

Zuko gave her an uncharacteristically large smile.

"Uh yeah, yeah, that sounds gre- uh, fine."

Mai smiled at him and leaned down for a kiss.

He obliged.