Sides

Summary: She was supposed to take his side. Mai/Zuko

The proper office of friends is to side with you when you are wrong. Nearly anyone will side with you when you are right. –Mark Twain

Zuko didn't pretend to know everything about relationships. He was well aware that he was singularly inexperienced in this area. But he thought he knew that it wasn't supposed to go quite like this. She was supposed to take his side. At least, that's what he thought.

He and Sokka had been arguing about something. What it was had long escaped Zuko's memory, but that was not the point. The point was that he was right, and that idiot water boy had to learn it. After what Zuko could only describe as hours of pointless bickering, he had done what anyone would do; go for reinforcements. In the form of his girlfriend. Because it had to be one of his friends, otherwise they'd disagree just to spite him. He might have gone for Aang, since he would have seemed less biased, and the avatar was just a little more prestigious than his girlfriend. Not by much though. But in the end, it didn't matter. Aang was at his earthbending lesson with Toph. Which left Katara and Mai. Zuko didn't think it was much of a surprise he picked Mai.

However, when he'd explained the argument, instead of siding with him, like she should have, she sided with Sokka, of all people.

"Katara and I leave you two alone for two minutes, and you're already arguing?" Mai sighed. For reasons inconceivable to him, Mai and Katara got on disturbingly well. Zuko didn't understand why she liked someone who hated him so much.

"What do you mean, two minutes? You left me alone with this oaf for hours!" Mai rolled her eyes.

"It's been two minutes. We've been counting." Zuko argued.

"But… impossible… We've been arguing for hours!" Mai sighed.

"Apparently not."

"That's not true. You're trying to confuse me. There is no way an entire argument about whether fire flakes or seal blubber is better snack could possibly be compressed into two minutes." Zuko said proudly.

"That's what you were arguing about?" Mai raised an eyebrow. Sokka and Zuko nodded vehemently.

"I needed you to prove to him that fire flakes are way better than seal blubber." Zuko said.

"Why are you bothering to argue about that? It really is pointless." Both Zuko and Sokka stared at her, openmouthed.

"It is not!" The two shouted indignantly. It took supreme effort for her not to burst out laughing at who similar the two looked at that moment.

"Well, if it really is that important, there's no contest." Zuko puffed out his chest proudly. "Seal blubber, of course." And with that, Zuko promptly deflated.

"But… What… How… Why…?" Zuko spluttered. Sokka smirked.

"I told you, no one can resist seal blubber. It superior in every way. Kinda like me, actually…"

"Is that all you needed from me? Katara and I are trying to salvage the shreds of your clothes you wore the last time you two tried dueling."

"Yes." Sokka answered, still smirking, while Zuko shouted, "No!"

"All right then. I'm going back to Katara." As she walked away, she heard Zuko shouting something about her being on his side.

"Since when do you like seal blubber?" Katara asked as soon and Mai came in view. "I thought you hated that 'chewy, rubbery, half-rotted filth' that us water peasants try to pass as food. You said you favored fireflakes infinitely."

"That is true, Katara. But more than I like fireflakes, I like to mess with Zuko. I'm not sure if you can hear, but he's severely confused and highly offended right now. I'll probably have to apologize later, but it was worth the look on his face." Katara eyed her speculatively.

"I'm not sure that even Azula would have come up with that one."

"Oh, she would have. Had, actually. It was her favorite game to play on the boat home." Mai paused. "Though, I have to admit, at least Azula and Zuko's fights were about useful stuff. I swear, what kind of snack food is better?" Mai rolled her eyes and walked off.