A/N: One shot inspired by a reviewer on AFF who thinks I focus too much on post series Maiko romance. It made me think and I came up with this little bittersweet scenario. Hope you enjoy it.

Illicit

Mai twirled one of her multitude of blades, watching with bored gold eyes as it spun quickly about her fingers. Her control over the object was impressive. Years of throwing and spinning and not doing much else, tended to hone one's skills to a sharp point.

"Bored again, Mai?" Princess Azula inquired. "I can find something for you to do if you want." Her smirk was almost malicious. "In fact, I have a little job in mind."

"Get Ty Lee," the noblewoman replied in flat voice.

The acrobatic girl jumped up from her seat next to Azula's, her long braid bouncing about like a separate entity, and offered her services. "I'll do it if you like, Azula. I like doing things for you."

Mai rolled her eyes and continued to spin the blade. "Suck up," she muttered under her breath.

"No, Ty Lee; I don't trust you not to get lost. Mai has a better sense of direction than you do."

"Great," Mai droned. "Does this mean I have to get up?"

They were sitting in their suite of rooms inside the Earth King's palace, all of them dressed in simple green robes rather than the ornate Kyoshi Warrior kimono and face paint. It was a relief to have all that paste off their faces. It felt like their skin could finally breathe again.

Ty Lee giggled at Mai's lack of enthusiasm. Azula gave the black haired girl an equally black glare. "Yes, you have to get up. You can wear what you have on now. I want you to leave the palace and go into the city. I heard some guards babbling about a new tea shop called The Jasmine Dragon. My uncle loser and my equally useless brother came to mind. I don't know how they could swing a tea shop in the Upper Ring, but I need you to see whether Zuko and Iroh are there or not. Can you do that, Mai? I hope you don't have any lingering feelings for my brother."

Ty Lee's eyes widened. "Oh, Azula, you know that she has a crush on Zuko."

Mai's blade stopped mid spin. She tucked it back inside her wide sleeve and shot her acrobatic friend a narrow eyed look. Couldn't Ty Lee ever keep her thoughts to herself?

"Perhaps; but service to the royal princess outweighs a juvenile crush on the traitor prince, doesn't it, Mai?" Azula kept her sharp amber eyes trained on the knife thrower, watching for any hint of emotion, any twitch or tremble.

Mai remained completely impassive. "Of course," she replied neutrally. She stood up and headed for the door. "I'll get going now."

Once outside the palace grounds and in the Upper Ring proper, her heart began to beat quickly in her chest and her palms grew slick with sweat. The thought of seeing Zuko nearly overwhelmed Mai, even though it might be just a glimpse from a distance. Three years was a very, very long time.

The Jasmine Dragon was easy to find. It seemed like half the Upper Ring was chattering about it. Mai simply followed an elderly couple who jabbered on and on about the unique teas and the warm atmosphere at the newest tea shop in the city. When she stood across the street from the shop, Mai could see its appeal.

It was tastefully decorated in the greens and yellows and browns of the Earth Kingdom, with simple wood tables and chairs and scattered green area rugs. Every table was full and every chair was taken. Mai could see a server milling about, quality green robes and short brown hair. She move ahead a little bit when she noticed the mark on the left side of his face, a mark that looked much like the one on Zuko's wanted poster.

She sucked in her breath and simply watched the young man move. It was the prince all right. Even though it had been three years since she had laid eyes on him, and her memories had faded, (how could they not after all…time had a way of stealing the sharpness and clarity from them) and in those three years he had grown taller and broader, every part of her screamed out 'Zuko'. She didn't need to see the scar that Ozai had branded him with. The rest of him told Mai a story.

Azula had instructed her to report any information immediately. She should be running back to the palace now with the intelligence, but Mai couldn't move. The sight of Zuko transfixed her and all those feelings that she had tried to push down, out of self preservation, began to resurface with a vengeance.

'Guess I didn't push them down far enough,' she thought to herself and smiled wryly. If she were to be honest with herself, Mai would admit that she was glad her feelings for Zuko were still there, powerful and vibrant, just waiting for her to express them in some way. He was the only boy who had ever interested her. Really, Mai had never looked at another one. They weren't Zuko. Therefore, they were of no real consequence to her.

Sure her parents had attempted to set her up with several nobles. But Mai was stubborn and defiant in her own blasé way and simply refused. Eventually, they gave up, and focused their attentions on Tom-Tom, their young son. Grateful that the spotlight was off her, Mai concentrated on her knife throwing. She grew more and more skilled as the months passed and throwing those knives and darts kept her mind off a certain boy that she still missed and still yearned for.

'I'll just get a bit closer,' she told herself and glided across the street, avoiding carriages and carts and pedestrians with ease.

Mai stood near the fountain that graced the courtyard in front of the Jasmine Dragon. The murmur of conversation and the clatter of cups met her ears. She could smell the tea and it smelled wonderful, a mixture of both subtle and headier scents that made her crave a cup. Should she? No, that wouldn't do. A terrible sadness filled Mai then. How could she be so close to Zuko and not do a thing; not say hello or catch his eye or stand close enough to smell his scent? It was cruel of Azula to send her on this mission, but cruelty was the princess's specialty. The more time she spent with her, the more Mai realized that fact.

She stared as Zuko weaved his way through the maze of tables and headed toward the back of the shop. He bypassed the kitchen and kept walking. Was there a back door perhaps, and a path or alley that it led to? Could Zuko maybe be taking a break ? Impulsively, and Mai giggled at her actions for impulsiveness and her rarely got along, she trotted by the fountain and along the side of the Jasmine Dragon, hoping beyond hope that she could access the back of the shop. She could and she did and as she turned the corner, Mai held her breath.

Zuko was there, leaning against a fence with his eyes closed. He didn't hear Mai's footsteps but when she stood across from him, her hands held casually in front of her body, the prince lazily opened his eyes. It was Mai's vanilla scented perfume that made him stand up straight and really look.

"Customers aren't allowed back here," he snapped crossly. "Oh, oh." His jaw dropped and he stared at Mai, much as she had looked at him. True recognition dawned and then the prince began to blush, one hand automatically moving upwards to cover his scar.

"Don't!" Mai demanded. "I haven't seen you for three years. I want to see all of your face."

"But, it's….."

"I don't care, Zuko." Mai inched forward and then reached out tentatively with her own hand, her long, pale fingers stretching until she touched flesh. He was warm beneath her fingertips and he trembled. "Oh, Zuko."

"How are you here?" Zuko asked. There was wonder in his voice and something Mai thought sounded like happiness. And there was fear. He put his own hand out, mimicking hers, and touched her cheek. Her skin was so smooth and soft and felt marvelous under his fingers. "I thought that I would never see you again."

Mai licked her lips and thought about how Zuko's would feel against her own. "Yeah, well, here I am. The Fire Lord made my father governor of Omashu, so I was living there. Then Azula…."

His entire body shook at the mention of his sister. "Azula?" he spat out venomously.

"Yeah, she recruited me and Ty Lee to help her find you and your uncle. Then we encountered the Avatar and have been after him. You know how your sister is…persuasive." Guilt surged through Mai's body, raging and hot.

"You're working with Azula…so are you going to tell her that I'm here in Ba Sing Se? Is that why you're at the tea shop, to spy on me?" He let his arm drop. But he ached immediately for the feel of Mai against him. He sounded sullen and hurt and a bit disappointed.

"Yes and yes; but when I first agreed to the mission, your sister didn't mention you. And I would have done anything to get out of Omashu. It's even duller than the Fire Nation capitol." She smirked a bit, a slight quirk of her lips and Zuko couldn't help but return it.

He recalled some of the many times Mai had complained of boredom back when they were much younger. Certain things never changed.

"What if you had run into me? What then? Would we have fought?"

"I, I don't really know, Zuko, but I do know that I could never hurt you." She hoped that the answer was enough for the prince.

He nodded. "I could never hurt you, Mai."

She saw the truth in his eyes, those expressive eyes that could never hide anything. "I know."

They both moved forward, closing the space between them, hands grabbing and pulling now, finding their way beneath the folds of robes, finally discovering bare skin. Their movements were frantic and when their lips did meet, their first real kiss was almost savage. Teeth clashed against teeth and tongue dueled with tongue. Zuko moved his hands upward, his fingers digging into her lustrous black hair, tugging and stroking. Mai did the same, her fingers barely finding purchase in his short hair. She clung on tightly, though, and yanked hard once in a while, jerking the prince's head.

By the time the couple pulled apart, they were disheveled looking, robes partially open, hair mussed, and lips red and puffy. Zuko pressed he forehead against Mai's and looked deep into her pretty gold eyes. "I miss you," he confessed. "And I thought about you a lot. It hurt and it helped. You can't stay, though, can you?"

Mai wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around Zuko forever, comfort him, ease his fears and frustrations and simply be with him. But it wasn't time. She only hoped that one day it would be. "No," Mai agreed and felt bitter tears sting her eyes.

"What will you tell my sister? Tell her the truth if you need to. I don't want her hurting you, Mai. I couldn't live with that." He kissed her forehead then, his lips tender this time. They moved down to her mouth and brushed gently against it.

Mai felt as though her heart had stopped, or maybe time had. "I'm not sure," she managed to say.

"It's okay; don't worry. I'm looking forward to fighting her again. I'm done with running, Mai." Zuko gave her a smile. "My uncle must be wondering where I am." He was giving her a way out, an opportunity to leave.

"Azula with me too; I'm surprised she hasn't sent out a Dai Li search party." Mai adjusted her robes and smoothed down her hair. "Am I presentable?"

"Y, you're beautiful." One more touch; he allowed his fingers to skim down her cheek. "Go."

Mai left, turning back once to see Zuko stepping into the tea shop, his eyes still focused on her. She blinked tears away, took a deep breath and walked back toward the palace. Mai had no idea what she would tell Azula. And at that moment, she did not care.