Third Person POV

On the motorcycle, on their way back to Flame's place, (Y/N) tried to reason with the stubborn fire elemental.

"Look, my mom was just trying to be helpful.." (Y/N) confessed, "She doesn't know how excited you are to run the shop..." She looked over at Flame from where she was sitting.

Flame suddenly shouted in pure frustration as (Y/N) looked at Flame with pure concern.

"Hey...I can see your frustrated about something...You...wanna talk about it?" (Y/N) asked seriously.

"I..." Flame grumbled softly, "It's..." Flame wanted to be honest with (Y/N) about his feelings but everything was crowded in his head.

"Hey...Flame...We're kind of going a thousand..." (Y/N) looked ahead as her eyes widened, "BUS!!!" She yelled which caught Flame's attention as he looked to see the bus.

Flame drove around the bus with ease, "Listen, (Y/N)...I know you're concerned about me but...you don't know a single thing about me, Okay?" He sighed, "But...thanks for being concerned.." Flame smiled softly, still semi-frustrated.

"Okay...When you're ready to tell me...will you?" (Y/N) looked up at Flame with a soft smile.

"...Of course..." He smiled back, paying attention to the road.

The small smiles between them, slowly started to calm Flame down. But the anxiety was still there, it was high, but (Y/N) talking calming to him instead of just yelling at him was nice. It was something that he really needed to hear.

"...Hey..." Flame stopped the motorcycle in front of the shop, looking down.

"Yeah?" (Y/N) looked at him.

"I...don't think I actually do want to run the shop..." Flame looked up at the shop as it all clicked, "That's...what my temper has been trying to tell me..." He got off the motorcycle as he walked towards the shop, "I'm...trapped..." Flame looked down.

(Y/N) got off the motorcycle as well, walking towards Flame but stayed behind him to give him some space.

"You know what's crazy?" Flame smiled, "Even when I was a kid, I would pray to the Blue Flame to be good enough to fill my father's shoes someday...because...this place is his dream!" Flame sighed, "But...I never once asked...what I wanted to do...and I think that's because deep down...I knew that it didn't even matter.. because the only way to repay a sacrifice so big is by sacrificing your life too..." Flame sighed as he felt (Y/N) standing next to him.

He was heard bubbling from (Y/N) as he looked over at her staring into the shop. Flame's heart was doing flips. He...wanted to kiss her. Was that weird of him to think? Of kissing a girl he, maybe, likes?

"(Y/N)..." Flame started but before he could even continue, a voice scared them both.

"FLAME!" Cinder's voice rang out from the top of the train platform, "DON'T MOVE!" She warned.

"Oh Inferno...My Mother..." Flame gulped and stood in front of (Y/N) in a sort of protective way.

Cinder rushed down the stairs as quickly as she could, panting along the way. Until Cinder finally made her way in front of the two.

"Mom...it's okay....she's just a...a..." Flame didn't want to say it since he knew he felt more for the girl.

"Si...Silence!" Cinder yelled, making both gasp in fear, "I could smell you from over there! Oh, you stink!" Cinder complained.

"What are you talking about?" (Y/N) asked.

"Yeah, Mom...What are you talking about?" Flame asked as well.

"You know what I'm talking about, Flame..." Cinder crossed her arms.

Flame sniffed himself as his eyes widened, "You're smelling...love...on me?" Flame blushed as he questioned his mother.

"If your father find out...Fire and Water cannot be together! I prove it! Come with me!!" She dragged both inside towards her matchmaking room.

The two couldn't look at each other. It was embarrassing for them.

'Flame...smelled like love...love for me? No...No way...right?' (Y/N) blushed madly, semi-excited.

'...Spark...She's wasn't meant to find out this way...Neither was my Mother! Spark! Spark! Spark!' Flame grumbled.

"I splash this on you to bring love to the surface..." Cinder muttered unenthusiastically as she splashed both of them, "And then you must light these with you fire, and I read the smoke..." She smirked, knowing that (Y/N) had no fire to provide.

'Shoot...' Flame seemed nervous, looking at (Y/N) as he light the stick on fire.

(Y/N) looked at her hands trying to think of an idea.

"See, Flame? It cannot be..." Cinder smiled as Flame looked down starting to feel heartbroken.

(Y/N) looked at Flame as an idea popped into her head, "Actually..." (Y/N) walked in front of Flame and lifted up her shirt a bit, enough to cause a refraction.

"What are you..." Flame covered his eye, even if the shirt wasn't up that far, "Doing?" He asked.

The refraction started a small little spark on the stick, allowing a fire to glow. Smoke started to arise from the stick as Cinder and Flame looked shocked. Flame smiled happily seeing it smoke up. The smoke intertwined up and out of the chimney as both blushed and smiled. Flame looked concerned at his mother to see the results.

Cinder sniffed the air but before she was able too, "Cinder!" Bernie yelled from upstairs, sounding like he was going downstairs.

(Y/N) place down her shirt, "It's my dad...You have to go!" He looked concerned for (Y/N).

The three rushed to the door as (Y/N) walked out, "Wait...are me and Flame a match?" (Y/N) asked nervously as Flame looked at his Mother.

"What's going on? I wake up and nobody upstairs.." Bernie asked as Flame shut the door, (Y/N) hiding outside.

"It was just me...I was...double-checking the locks!" Flame chuckled nervously.

"Yes, and we, uh, began looking at this door! We don't talk about this door enough!" Cinder noted.

"Pull it together!" Flame whispered.

"Well, since you're awake, I was gonna tell you tomorrow but I'm too excited to sleep...In two days, I retire!" Bernie smiled happily.

"Oh..." Flame looked down, "Two days?" He forced a smile.

"Yes.. We're going to throw big party! A grand reopening since then I tell whole world my son take over!" He smiled as Cinder laughed happily, "And I have gift for you..." Bernie then showed a sign he made, "After our talk, I know now is the time...before I give it to you, I need you to understand what it means to me..." Bernie looked down.

When I left Fire Land,

I gave my father the Bà Ksô [The Big Bow]

It is the highest form of respect.

But my father

did not return the bow

Did not give me his blessing.

He say, if we leave Fire Land,

we will lose who we are.

"They never got to see all of this..." Bernie gestured around him, "They didn't get to see that I never forgot we are fire...this is burden I still carry, Flame, it is important that you know you have my blessing every day you come in here...So I have this made for you!" Bernie showed the sign.

Flame's Fireplace.

"Woah...Ashfa..." Flame smiled softly.

"It's gonna be big, bright! Everyone's gonna see this...'Flame's Fireplace'...we unveil it at grand reopening!" Bernie laughed loudly.

"Come, Bernie...You need your rest!" Cinder smiled softly as she shot a glare at her son.

Once they were gone, Flame stared at the sign that his father made for him. Tears slowly rolling down his face.

'This...isn't going to work...' Flame's heart broke, knowing what he'd have to do.

________________________________________________________________________________

Back At The Damn.

Water gushed in, as the glass seemed to be maintained. But as it closed in on the glass, a crack could be seen forming on the glass.

It was breaking. Slowly everything that seemed fine was breaking down.