Somewhere inside a Directional Titan

"I don't have to take this."

Samiel Tai Tianna, prince of Tianna, lover of the goddess formerly known as Dancing Smoke, and Exalted of the Elemental Dragons all but ran away towards the exit of the Directional Titan, face red with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Mostly embarrassment.

"Wait Sammy wait," Flame said in between fits of giggles "I didn't mean to make you mad."

Blocking the doorway in front of Samiel, The Flame that Marched Against The Sea stood three meters tall with dragon wings, horns, and a long sinuous tail, she was the picture perfect example of a Lesser Elemental Dragon. Currently that noble countenance was trying her best to hold back her laughter with tears in her eyes.

Samiel looked away in a huff waiting for Flame's laughter to die down. It was honestly hard to stay mad at her in these rare moments when she was happy, though he preferred it when it wasn't at his own expense. Looking at her from the corner of his eye he couldn't help but smile at how unguarded she was. She hadn't been this happy since that night the Silver Prince temporarily took control of her, no maybe since she regained her power and her memories. It saddened him so much between them had changed after that, but things were slowly getting better between them. Not necessarily going back to the way they were, so much as making something new.

Still this was too much.

"Are you done yet?" he asked, stepping back away from the exit and turning away from Flame.

"Yes, yes," she said, her giggles finally dying down "I'm sorry, I'm done now."

Samiel stayed silent as he looked around at the room. The reactor room had been cleaned and patched up as best as they could with what they had, but signs of the battle were still obvious. The biggest clue being the damaged reactor core and entrance to Flame's Sanctum. Samiel wasn't sure what the inside looked like yet, he hadn't wanted to push and Flame hadn't invited him in either, but he couldn't imagine something as terrifying as the Silver Prince's sword didn't leave everything untouched.

"Hey don't tell me you're actually that mad about a little teasing?" Flame asked him, stepping up behind him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"No, no, just," Samiel stopped, thinking about the real reason he came down to talk to her "Maka should be back by now you know."

"Mmm." Flame hummed after a second even as she squeezed him tighter against her stomach.

"You haven't seen or spoken to her since before the wedding." he said slowly, feeling her breathing stop against his back.

She gave him another hum as he continued, "She probably wants to see you, you know?"

"No she doesn't." she said finally.

"Of course she does Flame," he said craning his head to look up at her "why would you think that?"

"Why wouldn't she, I mean I got her stupid best friend killed." she snapped, releasing Samiel and walking off.

"Who are you talking about?," Samiel said chasing after her "the Tyrant?"

"You heard her when we spoke, she cares more about her than she does about me."

"That's not fair Flame," he said catching her by the arm "Maka cares about everyone, maybe more than she should, but that include you too."

"No she doesn't." she said still not looking at him.

"She was asking about you at the wedding you know." he said turning her around and looking straight into her eyes.

"She was hoping you would be there."

After a minute she looked away from his gaze.

"I heard it was a nice ceremony."

"Nice is definitely one way to put it."

Holding her hands tight in his own he said, "Maka definitely cares about you, she already has Valeriana making plans on how to safely get the island in the air you know?"

"Really?"

"Valeriana was actually pretty mad about it, she had all these plans that got scrapped because of it." Samiel smiled as he remembered her drunken rambling at the wedding "but once she got started she really couldn't stop."

"Why?" squeezing his hands so hard he thought they might break she repeated "Why? How can she forgive me so easily?"

Molten tears dripping down her face, she cried out to Samiel.

"Why doesn't she hate me?"

Samiel looked up, stunned at the sight. Then he remembered that night they restored her memory, that rage he saw in her eyes, that anguish.

His a determined spark in his eyes he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her.

"Because she loves you."

"Just like I do Flame."

Flame fell to her knees, crying and burning a hole into Samiel's shirt, and hugging him back.

They stayed like that until her tears faded away. They sat on the floor together in a delicate silence before Flame finally spoke up.

"Samiel?"

"Yeah?"

"You love me?" she asked, her tone wavering.

"Of course I do." he said, looking at her.

Her eyes shone with a fiery gleam.

"Is it a Burning Love?" she blurted out, a smile breaking out with her teasing tone returning full force.

"Oh Dragons damn it Flame," he snapped pushing her away.

Flame fell over, unable to keep her balance between her fits of giggles.

"We were having a moment!"

Flame's laugh seemed to follow him all the way up to the surface.