Title: Stolen
Author: SIR JAZZ
Rated: T
Genre: Romance/General
Summary: In the middle of the night, Zuko and Mai make s'mores. MAIKO Oneshot
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I making any form of profit in writing this fic.

It was technically considered a sleepover, but seeing as her two friends were currently passed out on the plush carpet next to her, Mai was almost positive that things weren't exactly going the way most other sleepovers do. Looking up at the moon in the starlit sky, she assumed it was about eleven-o'clock at night, if not midnight. The sheer curtains to Azula's double-paned windows were pulled back, allowing Mai a spectacular view of the brightly lit city below. Sighing slightly, she pulled her knees up to her chest, tuning out the quiet snores that emitted from Ty Lee's mouth, and the subtle sounds that the carpet made as Azula shifted in her sleep. It was odd that such royalty had chosen to rest on the dirty floor of all places, but of course, no part of Azula's chambers were considered filthy.

A slight drop in temperature caused slight shivers to run through Mai's cold body, and the low growl that came from her stomach signaled that she was craving a midnight snack. Gingerly standing up, Mai tiptoed out of Azula's ornate bedroom, careful not to wake up the slumbering souls. She nodded to the two guards standing outside the room, pointing in the general direction of the palace kitchen.

The swish of her maroon nightgown against the cold air around her calmed her spirits. Flickering flames cast eerie shadows across the alabaster pillars and statues; Mai quickened her pace slightly, eager to get out of the way before some suspicious guard questioned the fact that she was outside Azula's quarters at such an ungodly hour. Following the familiar rugs and ornate carpets, she exhaled in relief, and pushed open the intricately-carved mahogany doors that led to the kitchen.

There were no servants to be seen, but she did spot a lone figure hunched over the kitchen countertops, unceremoniously popping grapes into his mouth. "Zuko," she acknowledged, gracefully making her way over to him.

"Mai," he greeted, a slight tone of surprise riddled in his voice. "What brings you here?"

"My stomach," she replied dismally. "It pains me to say this, but I'm quite hungry. Ty Lee would try to knock me out if she knew I was going to eat another meal during the night, but she's out cold. So here I am."

Zuko nodded. "Want some grapes? I think they clean out the digestive system, or something."

Mai grimaced. "Not exactly what I had in mind. Do you happen to have chocolate anywhere?" She refrained from opening up the cupboards herself, knowing it would be quite rude to do so without permission. "Or marshmallows. Something that'll go straight to my thighs."

Zuko allowed a wry grin to tug crookedly at his lips. "We could make s'mores if you'd like."

"Oh yeah. You could just use those magic fingers of yours. Let's do it."

"Magic fingers?" he questioned over his shoulder, reaching for the box of graham crackers. "There should be some chocolate in that drawer over there, next to the utensils."

Mai hopped off the stool and tiptoed to the drawer he was pointing at. "Yeah, you know. Spark plug hands. Like, you snap, and voila, instant lighter." She reached inside and found a whole mess of assorted junk foods and the like. "Got 'em."

"Spark plugs, huh. That's more Azula's style. I'd like to think of myself as a Zippo light. Hold on a moment, I think the marshmallows are in the pantry. Be right back."

She grabbed a handful of the square-shaped chocolates and set them on an empty platter left on the kitchen counter. "No hurt in sampling," she drawled to herself, taking a small bite. "Mm. Just as good as I remember."

The piece of chocolate was stolen from her nimble fingers and placed in Zuko's welcoming mouth. "Mm. Even better when it's stolen."

"Thief," she accused, grabbing the bag of marshmallows from him. "Not even the Prince can clear his name from robbery."

His face hovered dangerously close to hers. "Then you must be in serious trouble, Mai. I'm afraid you've stolen something very dear to me."

"And what would that be?" she whispered, eyes glancing towards his lips.

"My heart."

Mai released a dry chuckle and turned away from him. "That was pathetic, Zuko. Prince of the Fire Nation you may be, but Prince Charming you are not."

Zuko smirked at her and opened the flap to the box of graham crackers. "Well, I tried. Here," he said, handing her a packaged set of crackers.

She tore open the plastic and retrieved two crackers, one for her and one for Zuko. Breaking them in half, she asked him for a couple slabs of chocolate. "What kind of chocolate do you like the best?"

He looked up at her face contorted in concentration, as she carefully arranged the chocolates on their corresponding squares of graham. "Dark chocolate, definitely. I'm not a big fan of sweets. You?" Once she was done assembling the s'mores, she handed them to him for torching.

"Honestly, I can't really tell the difference," she muttered, watching the small glow of fire heat up their s'mores. A tiny tongue of fire emanated from his index finger. Blowing cautiously on the burning marshmallow, he pulled off the burnt layer and messily squashed a graham cracker on top. "Eat up," he murmured, taking a sloppy bite out of his treat.

They ate several sets of s'mores in silence, just enjoying the innocent peace and quiet for once. "This is really good," announced Mai, a string of marshmallow stuck on her lower lip.

"You've got a bit of marshmallow on your lip there," said Zuko, pointing to the area on his own lips.

"Here?" she inquired, sticking her tongue out on the opposite side.

"No, on the—" Zuko froze when he saw her scrumptious little tongue dart out and swipe slowly across her bottom lip. She bit it gently and released, causing her lips to redden and swell out slightly.

"Is it gone yet?"

He snapped out of his momentary trance and nodded curtly. "Uh, yeah, all gone." Zuko stiffened when he felt something wet and warm run along his cheek, before the cool air caressed the short, moist trail that Mai's tongue had left behind.

"You had chocolate on your cheek," she clarified, face burning bright red. She stared at her half-eaten s'more and decided that the churning in her stomach wasn't from the chocolate in her system.

Zuko left his last s'more on the counter top and leaned closer to Mai, kissing her softly on the forehead. He rested his cheek against hers and sighed softly. Mai tugged his hands in hers and tucked her head into his neck, inhaling the warm, spicy scent that permeated her senses. "You smell like burnt cloth," she mumbled, grinning slightly.

He nipped gently at her earlobe. "And you smell like metal."

Shaking shoulders and a quiet laugh from her form left him smiling into her hair. "If I had my shuriken with me…"

The Fire Prince ran his fingers along her lean arms. "No sleeves, I forgot. Does that mean you're weaponless?"

"Not entirely," she replied, pulling away from his embrace. "But it would be a bit awkward if I told you where I hide my spare knives."

He hummed in agreement and stepped off the stool, tentatively taking hold of her hand. "I'll walk you back to the room."

Once again, Mai wandered the expansive hallways and corridors, this time feeling much more secure. Instead of fearing the glittering flames, she admired the way they highlighted Zuko's handsome face. Shadows dances across his high cheekbones and strong jaw, and at that moment, Mai felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

"Thanks for keeping me company," she whispered, once they reached the final bend to Azula's chambers.

"Likewise," he replied, hugging her slender form against his harder, more masculine frame.

She cradled his cheek and pressed her lips against his, winding her other arm around his neck and into his untamed hair. He growled possessively and backed her into the wall, strong arms holding onto her slim body. Her right leg brazenly found its way around his hips, pushing their pulsating cores closer to each other. His tongue flicked against her lips, finally getting the opportunity to trace the contours of her supple mouth. Mai released a silent moan, threading her fingers through the long hairs at the nape of his neck. She could taste the remnants of their midnight snack as his lips moved against hers.

Breathing heavily, she leaned her forehead against his shoulder, setting her feet back on the floor. "Goodnight," she breathed, pecking him on the lips once more.

"Sweet dreams," Zuko replied, smoothing his fingers along the back of her nightgown before releasing her. He watched her totter towards Azula's room and turned towards his when she greeted the guards and entered.

It was true, decided Mai, shutting the door behind her, noticing Ty Lee and Azula still snoring away.

Things were better when the were stolen.

I'm hiding from the Narutard section for the time being.
Gahh I love Mai. She's the greatest character ever.
Lame title and theme. Whatever.