Disclaimer: I wouldn't even watch tv or listen to music if I owned Zuko.
A/N- Sorry this took so long to come out. I discovered the Jonas Brothers (who, by the way, have some of the worst fan fiction that I've ever read) and became quite distracted by them. So, the very last scene here is the first part I wrote for this chapter (it came to me in a dream) and so, I did everything I could (aka I rushed) to get to the point where that scene would fit so I could get this chapter out. I promise more confrontation with the GAang next chapter, especially some Katara/Mai time. Thanks everyone for your fantastic reviews! P.S.- Please excuse my 'battle' scene, I just can't write them.
There was no way Zuko could have snuck up on Mai as she was properly folding his scarce belongings properly into his pack. He was trudging and swearing to himself the whole way, not bothering to keep any sort of quiet.
She stood, turning toward Zuko's din and waited for him to emerge into the clearing. The fact that the noise only grew louder and more clearer to her with his every step tempted a smile on her lips but she knew better to conceal it.
Zuko, normally a master of stealth, crashed out of the clingy branches and stalked straight forward until he stood directly in front of his companion. There was a moment of silence, Mai effortlessly keeping her face stony and unreadable. The outcome of Zuko's confrontation was obvious, but some things were best left to reveal themselves with time.
"I'm so stupid," Zuko said in a mix of rage and defeat. "I'm such an idiot, I said all the wrong things."
He turned to pace back and force, often throwing his arms up in the air and continued the same rant that was apparent all the way through the woods.
"How could I just assume that they would accept me? I thought it would be so easy, I thought they would be able to tell, I'm not lying! I'm not working for Azula!"
"Zuko," Mai tried, "Calm down, they probably just need time to think everything over."
"You didn't see it, Mai," he replied without much patience, "they were pissed that I showed up, pissed."
"Then you just said the wrong thing," Mai responded, "we'll practice some more and you can try again."
"I know I said the wrong thing, that much is obvious," Zuko snapped back at her. "If you hadn't been laughing at me and making me feel like… like someone who has no hope whatsoever, then maybe it would have went better!"
She stared at him, her face as blank as a sheet. His words hurt her but she wouldn't let him see. It was true that she was doing her best to show her emotions in front of Zuko, give him an idea of what she was thinking, but it was also true that she was doing her best to not slip a dart of two out of her sleeve and teach him a lesson for speaking to her in such a way.
He stomped around the fire and sat down heavily on a tree stump, letting his head fall into his hands. Shaking her head, Mai turned her back to him and ducked under the makeshift tent they'd created between a few trees. She kneeled and pulled her pack to her, trying to make it seem like she was doing something. If she was a very different person, there would be tears threatening to spill down her cheeks but Mai wouldn't allow that. To cry is to be weak and Mai was many things, but never weak.
Zuko sat on that same stump, stayed in the same bent over position and thought about the same things for an immeasurable amount of time.
He had gone so far as to offer himself as a prisoner, were that the only way to be accepted by the Avatar. He knew his destiny and it was being denied to him by a twelve year old. What could he possibly do to gain their trust?
And Mai, he had been too harsh on her. He was so angry that she didn't understand what he had just been through but forced himself to remember what she was giving up for him. She didn't have to be there, but she had made a choice, one that Zuko was terrified of her regretting.
He couldn't do anything about Aang at this moment, but Mai, he had to do something about this rift that he had created. He spent the better part of two hours thinking of the best approach to fix it.
When he had decided on the proper method and allotted himself twenty more minutes to build up some courage, he stood, pausing to kick a few kinks out of his legs, and made his way over to the pretend tent thing. Zuko ducked underneath and paused for another moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness.
It was the soft, steady breathing that told him Mai was sleeping which ruined everything, of course. Would waking her up only make it worse? But how could she sleep at a time like this? You must be somewhat at peace to drift into slumber and Zuko knew that he was far from any such calm. Mai, it seemed, was not.
Tentatively, he reached a hand to touch her shoulder, looking for her to automatically slap it away as she surely would do if she was awake. But no, Mai was definitely sleeping.
He flopped down on his back next to her for another thought session. The process was sluggish as various tangents persisted to throw him off. Where was Uncle Iroh? How had he broken out of the cell by himself? It was next to impossible, but Zuko saw the damage for himself. Was Azula already planning to hunt them down, or had she given up, leaving her brother and her former friend to banishment and a life of nothing?
Mai stirred, and rolled back onto Zuko's arm, trapping it beneath her body. He was about to panic, knowing that he would have to wake her up or risk a non-circulated limb, when he heard a twig snap. It was coming from the other side of the fire and sounded more like a footstep than anything else.
There it was again, and Azula's face flashed in his mind.
"Who's there?" He demanded loudly. Mai woke and sat up next to him, instinctively sliding knives out of her sleeves.
"What is it?" she whispered but Zuko was already on the move. He crawled forward as quiet as he could and repeated his question with more vigor. Whoever was there moved forward still and fearing for their safety, Zuko used the already burning fire to throw flames toward the intruder.
"No, Zuko, it's me!" He heard her call, the blind earth bender.
Shocked and furious that he had reacted too soon, he dashed from the tent towards her.
"I'm so sorry," he began.
"You burned my feet!" she screamed at him before crawling away, dodging his attempts to help her.
Zuko wailed in frustration as Toph disappeared through the brush.
Mai moved quickly to wrap herself in his arms, forcing him to show her affection and let out his anger in a different way.
"I'll go with you," she said softly. "We can go now and make things better."
Zuko, seeing no alternative, nodded solemnly
"I'm sorry, Mai," he began, unsure how she still felt about earlier.
She put a finger to his lips to stop him. That was the past and there were more important things happening just then. With a quick kiss, she moved from him to pack their scarce belongings. With any luck, they wouldn't be returning.
Mai noticed the commotion before Zuko did. It sounded like bombs were going off, blasting apart rocks. She hurried toward the noise, Zuko trailing her closely. There was a man, blowing things up, causing destruction far greater than any normal fire bender could.
"No," Zuko murmured when he recognized the attacker. "I sent him to kill the Avatar, before I realized…"
He was cut off by a close blast that sent them sprawling on their backs. Without another thought, Mai flung a knife, hitting the strange man in the shoulder. He turned to face them, and took a deep breath.
"The forehead," Zuko advised, "quick!"
Wasting no time, Mai moved once again, hitting her target dead on, as she usually did. Zuko pulled her down, doing his best to shield them both as a final explosion erupted around them.
When they looked up, there was no sight of the assassin but instead, they were surrounded by the very people they had been waiting to accompany.
"Thanks, I guess," Aang started before Katara cut him off.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.
"Oh, you know, just hanging out," Mai responded dryly.
Zuko touched her arm, hoping to make it clear that this was a delicate situation.
"Do you see now?" he asked. "I mean you no harm and neither does Mai."
"Why is she here?" Katara said icily. "What contributions could she possibly have?"
At least she didn't think the same about me, Zuko thought to himself. But Katara did realize that they had need for Zuko, mostly thanks to Toph's reason. Not that she would admit it, of course.
The six of them, including Toph and Sokka, debated for several minutes before all agreed to allow Zuko and Mai to stay. Granted, Katara did so quite grudgingly and none of them would look Mai in the eye. Still, Zuko felt relieved. He didn't flinch when Katara threatened his life and wasn't bothered that all of them seemed to keep some sort of weapon very close by. He was about to fulfill his destiny.
Zuko stretched out next to Mai on their make-shift bed, deep inside the Western Air Temple. Katara had purposely stationed them as far away from Aang as possible but it didn't bother them.
Exhausted, Mai curled on her side and pulled the blanket high up on her shoulder, appreciating the warmth it procured as well as the heat pressing into her back, in the form of Zuko.
"Mai," he whispered while running a hand down her arm and onto her hip. She grunted, wondering if she would have to turn to drastic measures to get some sleep. It had been a long day and it was not the night to stay awake for hours upon end.
Zuko hands continued to roam, moving to her stomach and back up her side. With a small sigh, Mai shifted to face her daring boyfriend and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips which he returned with fervor, desperately trying to intensify it. He moved to meet his hands with hers and laced their fingers together before Mai moved on top of him. She was tired but it was awfully lovely being loved by someone.
Sneakily, Mai coerced Zuko's arms over his head and distracted him with her tongue. He didn't notice the small smirk on her lips before she pulled away and rolled off of him, leaving her head to rest against his shoulder.
"Mai," Zuko began, confused. "Mai, I'm stuck."
"I know," she replied sleepily. "I knifed you to the headboard."
"You sleep with knives?" Zuko asked while trying to pull his sleeves free from their imprisonment. Alternatively, he attempted to grasp the handles to force them out but Mai was too smart for that and Zuko failed at releasing himself.
"We're rebels now, who knows what will happen," Mai stated with sleepy laughter in her voice. "Besides, I need to sleep some time."
She was quiet and was disturbed only by Zuko's slight jostles as he tried to free his restraint.
"Mai," he said, beginning to get frustrated. "I'll let you sleep, I promise."
"Of course…" Mai started, a yawn evident in her voice, "you will, I'll sleep just fine."
"You're infuriating."
"Goodnight Zuko."
A/N- Thanks for reading! Please review and I guarantee the next chapter as soon as humanly possible for a college student with selfish friends who don't like to let me get away. Edit: I have no given up on this, I've just been incredibly busy! I promise another chapter is coming:D