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When zuko dies, the maggots eating through his corpse will mostly get the taste of shame, dishonor and anger but as they near his heart, there would be an aftertaste of his beloved as the chambers of his heart beat again for the memories made on a may.
It was summer. The sun was beating down the shores of ember island as vendors sold ice cream, shouting out the flavors and the prices.
Above the sandy shores, away from the crashing waves washing off the salt on the sand, stood the Firelord's vacation house.
the elegant structure the avatar and his friends including the now Firelord once hid before ending the war once and for all.
Now the house, cleared of the cobwebs and dust, was neatly refurbished and became a solace washed house for the firelord and his betrothed as the month of their wedding ran near.
Inside the house, Mai was sitting on the bed scrolling through the pages of fabric and jewels the designers had forced upon her as she enjoyed a cup of cherry ice cream her dear lover brought from the beach.
Mai hated the sand, so irritating as it scratched against the flesh of her leg so it was just perfect. When zuko asked if she would like it he went and got one.
The only downside of having a private vacation house with no staff to disturb them also meant they have to do their own chores but she suppose it's fine after all zuko insists on doing everything.
Mai rolled her eyes as she flipped through her pages before she felt him climb over her, peppering her bare shoulder with kisses as his fingers fiddled with her strap.
“What are you up to, my soon to be wife” he said as he gathered the flesh of her shoulder in between his teeth, a smile gathering as he spoke.
“.....are you high?” She shuddered, shifting her attention to her husband whose face twisted with embarrassment as he went through shades of red.
“I'm sorry, I heard a man calling the girl with him while I was buying the ice cream” his voice muffled as he hid his face in the saffron tinted sheets, his ears were red as he clenched into the sheets
Mai rolled her eyes chuckling slightly before shifting her attention over to the book. Her fingers were now completely submerged into the depth of his brown waves.
“All this wedding preparation is taking years off my life” she flatly muttered. Breathing out in annoyance as she scrolled through the pages. “Who knew there was this much varieties of a red jewel, ugh”
Zuko's head lifted from the sheets as a strand of his stood up astray. “Are you mad that I wasn't able to stop this” he lamented as he fiddled with his fingers.
Mai's eyes followed his fingers as he scratched off the skin around his nails. “I'm not mad” she reassured him, putting her hand over his. A small smile painted over their faces as they looked into each other's eyes
“Though I can't see why we can't just elope” Mai said before shutting the book and turning on her side as her palm dragged upward his body before finding a place in the warmth of his scar. “Now my dear soon to be husband, go find some food before I die of hunger”
Zuko chucked before getting up from the bed, putting on his shirt and scarf over his head before heading out.
Since there were no working staff in the house yet zuko has been the one cleaning but since he can't cook and insists on letting Mai relax, they had been eating out ever since their little get away.
Zuko dragged his feet through the sand, lowering his head under his scarf whenever someone took a special glance at him. Even though identification of the firelord was less with his face only being known to the general public, tales of his scar traveled around the world.
By the time zuko had returned with food, mai had migrated from the bed to the living room, residing on the velvet couch with a book.
“i’m home” he called out as he put down a ready to go bag on the wooden table.
During their mini vacation on Ember island, Zuko felt normal. without any ministers fussing in his ear nor any nosy staff watching mai and zuko on their dates back at the palace waiting to trade in informations gathered before trading them off
“what did you bring” mai said as she crossed the room, inspecting the bags as she looked inside. “you were gone for so long, i feel my ribs burning out of hunger”
“hello to you too mai, yes i’m home safe” zuko snorted dramatically.
Mai rolled her eyes before going back into the bags, rustling the paper as her hands grabbed and checked.
“there’s beef bao, rice, komodo chicken and prawns, just the way you like you” zuko said as he neared mai, looking over her shoulders into the bag.
“thanks” mai said in a single-word before slightly pecking his scar. “Oh what did i do to deserve such an amazing loving soon to be husband” mai added after noticing zuko’s eyes on her waiting for more.
“By the way, before I forget: can you get ready at sunset? we need to go somewhere” zuko crooned at her as he slipped an astray strand of her hair back into the her detailed hairstyle
mai who was already preoccupied, “i don’t have any formal clothes, i left them all back in my house” replied as she swallowed a piece of her bao.
“it’s ok, just slip into something comfortable” he suggested with a smile as he picked up a piece of shrimp.
“zuko” mai said as she put down her bowl, “i do not want to talk to people this entire week, you brought me here saying we won’t have to talk to anyone” mai reminded him, turning to looking at him sharply.
“It's just us and one other person, i think” he reassured her as he grabbed her shoulders, pecking the side of her face before grabbing her cheek and pecking the tip of her nose.
“When have I ever gone back on a promise?” he asked tenderly looking at his beautiful lover with a smile.
“multiple times actually”
——————————————————————
The sun had started to set as crowds of people dispersed from the beach except for a few who had gathered around to start a campfire.
inside zuko’s childhood bedroom, mai readied herself as she watched herself in the vanity mirror.
putting on eyeliner before fanning her eyes and getting up to check herself before she leaves for Zuko's mystery adventure.
Last time he took her on a ‘mystery adventure’ they were lost for 5 hours before a local helped them get back home.
zuko insisted that they dress like commoners to fit in so the mystery adventure goes according to plan and after spending more than a decade with him, mai knew better than to argue with his logic
So wearing a casual red robe, mai grabbed her cashmere scarf before walking down the stairs to where zuko was waiting in a black hanfu.
“You look so beautiful” Zuko admired her before placing both his hands on either side of her face.
“please” mai shooed him off before going in first, hiding the hue of a blush appearing on her face.
Mai followed Zuko as he led her through the streets which was a bit crowded which wasn’t unexpected considering it was the peak of the summer as school kids and government employees went on the yearly summer break.
zuko grabbed mai’s hand tightly, bringing her closer as he pushed them through the large crowd of people.
his grasp on hers became more stronger as the crowd closed in deeper, zuko, a bit more than occasionally, looked back at her to make sure she was still there holding his hand as if she were to evaporate among the crowd.
mai sighed as they were finally out of the crowd, removing the scarf around her shoulders before fanning herself.
“are you okay? are you hurt” zuko inspected her, checking her arm and face for any damage.
“i’m fine”
they finally reached their destination. mai was wrong, very wrong, when she thought it would be a cool evening. her face was flushed as her bangs stuck her forehead.
mai panted as she knelt down, her hands on her knees.
“don’t worry, we’re here” zuko’s voice cut through the quiet nocturnal sounds of the evening.
raising her hand, mai saw a semi-abandoned temple with vines and moss creeping into its cracks as an old man dressed in red robes waited by the entrance with a smile.
“you said you wanted to elope and that you didn’t want to get wed in front of millions of people, most of which we won’t even like” zuko said, he was looking at her now as his eyes glassed with love
“oh zuko” mai whispered, her hand on his scar as he leaned into her touch. A smile only he knew sneaked up to face as she grabbed his hand
The monk chanted religious words as the woody aroma blanketed the young couple who’s eyes never left each other.
zuko’s hands returned to hers like when they were fighting their way through the crowd, but now his complete attention was on her as was hers.
‘you look so beautiful’ he mouthed with a blush that never left his face
‘so do you’ mai mouthed back with a smile
“in the presence of the godly spirit, i declare you husband and wife” the old man smiled as his wrinkles stretched across his face.
The man blessed them as they were getting ready to leave. “Do you both live here? you look awfully familiar” the monk questioned towards the end as he inspected zuko.
“i used to work at a tea shop, maybe that’s why” zuko smiled at him as he glanced at mai.
“thank you for your service” mai thanked the older man with a bow.
“Oh, don't even mention it. this temple is basically abandoned, it’s just me coming in every day before it used to be me and my wife that is before she…left” the man said as his smile faltered.
“so when your husband came to me in the afternoon with a request i hadn’t heard in 39 years, i just had to” he smiled again as mai as well as zuko blushed at the ‘husband in his sentence’
“You both remind me of my wife and me,” he laughed .
The moon hung high on the dark blue sky as its alabaster light shone onto the sea.
Mai and Zuko walked back to the house in absolute silence as their hands brushed against each other with each motion.
silence which wasn’t at all uncomfortable but rather a pleasant light on their newest development.
leaving the home as betrothed and coming back as married.
zuko’s hand slipped into hers before he changed the direction to their house and into the way of the water.
waiting along the edge of the beach, a man a biy shorter than zuko and a bit taller than mai with a cart.
“aah lee!” he said as they caught his attention.
“oh and you must be the lady” he smiled at her as he offered his hand over her way. “i’m shun,” he said with a look Mai was well familiar with.
“two ice cream please” zuko interjected as he clasped onto the shun’s hand, exchanging money in the process.
he scowled slightly before noticing the gold placed on him. Mai looked over the ocean as a cool breeze she expected earlier rushed into her.
Mai shuddered as she covered her shoulders and hands with her scarf before zuko’s arms brought her closer to his chest, permeating heat.
‘I guess there are a few perks that come with having the firelord as your husband’ mai thought with a smirk.
“Here you go,” shun’s voice pinched through the atmosphere as he handled them two paper cups of pink tinted ice cream.
cherry, mai thought at the the sweet smell pinching into her nostrils.
holding onto the two cup, zuko guided her over the edge between the water and the beach before handing mai her ice cream
“i know you don’t like the sand and i looked for places to sit but—“ mai cut him off with a short—but long enough—kiss
“today was just perfect, thank you” mai said before leaning in closer as zuko closed the gap between them.
the sweet cool taste of the cherry flooded his mouth as he sensed mai’s fingers dig into his scalp.
under the moon of may, they couple shared their first kiss as husband and wife which they would honor every year by visiting ember island and the temple as they enjoyed a cup of cherry ice cream in the sand.
as years grew so did their family, from a dragon and then to a daughter and finally to their grandchildren.
as lady mai and lord zuko celebrated their union each year.
The old man walked along the sandy beaches as he watched the moon hung up on the blue sky adorned by the stars around it.
a weak smile grew on his wrinkled face as he spotted his wife, a star shining bright as she waited for him to join her.
‘don’t be late zuko’ her voice ringed in his memories.
because deep inside his heart, a fateful night on a may day did he become a husband to mai.
he would soon reunite with his wife and get a good scolding for taking too long and making her wait in the spirit world but through all that he would her husband and she his wife
so when the maggots are eating through his heart, they would taste the cool cherry ice cream and the scent of the salty beach on the day he married his wife.
His body though dead and his spirit in peace, the warmth of the delicate memories he had with his wife would preserve through the years as tales of a firelord so deeply enchanted by his fire lady would be told through the decades.