"Katara you've got yourself a hunk!"
"I know!"
"Why can't all guys be like that?"
"I'm not that sure really maybe it's just guys"
"Yeah but you've got an awesome guy who's romantic and actually straight"
"You mean unlike that hot model artist you dated before?"
"Hey he never told me he was gay and so I never knew and started to date him, well dating for me, friends get together for him"
"Until you saw him with his boyfriend at the gay bar"
"It wasn't a gay bar"
"He had nice taste though. He gave me a really pretty green sash from last Christmas"
"Why do we keep in touch with him anyway?"
"He's our fashion designer and he's not that bad you're just upset because he broke your heart"
"He didn't break my heart and was he actually hot?"
"He was a hunk Toph dearest"
"Well I just liked the sound of his voice"
They all giggled remembering the girly voice of Toph's friend when they found out he was gay.
"Katara if you break up with Zuko can I have him?"
"No way Suki! Besides you'll break Sokka's heart"
"Can you make him more romantic by the way?"
"Tried and failed sweetums, if you succeed you're the first to"
"Hold on Katara?"
"What?"
"Has Zuko broken up with Mai?"
Katara dropped the phone and it landed on her bed before falling to the ground. She had no idea. She didn't check with him. Had Zuko broken up with Mai? Or was he just trying to two-time her?
The worries entered her suddenly but stayed there as if they couldn't find an exit. She didn't want this be another 'Jet' situation. She was too happy to have her relationship smashed to pieces again.
"Uh-oh" cooed Toph distantly from the phone that lay on the carpet of her bedroom.
NEW SCENE
Zuko stood in front his bathroom mirror and stared at his reflection worriedly.
"Okay Zuko. Come on. You can do this. Mai I'm sorry it's not working out. I just don't love you. I don't think I ever did really. No offence but you're kind of hard to love and I love Katara Mizu. You know that girl from high school? I'm just so in love with her and compared to her you're just- OH COME ON ZUKO SHE'S GOING TO THROW THE KITCHEN KNIFE AT YOU!!"
Zuko smacked his forehead in distress.
"Let's do this Zuko. Come on! Mai it's not working out I'm sorry but it just isn't. I don't love you and I don't think I ever loved you romantically. It was really all Azula. You see I loved and still love Katara. That girl that helped me with my hanger over a few days ago. I've loved her since high school but Azula found out and she said that if I told anyone I loved Katara and if I didn't go out with you she would burn my room and tell our father that I was playing with fire, so I had to go out with you and seriously she had the match right about my superman comic books. So I went out with you. I actually enjoyed the time I had with you but I never loved you romantically and each time and had to kiss you I tried to imagine her face, Katara's face. So yeah. Don't take it personally it's me that's wrong not you. I'm sorry"
Zuko stared at himself showing no emotion.
"Zuko Mai will kill you if you break up with her and that won't help your relationship with Katara at all"
A clear ring of the door bell came to Zuko's ears. He sighed and rubbed his face.
"Come in!" he called out and walked out of the bathroom to see Mai who was coming into the room. She looked quite flushed and was dressed once again in black. Zuko wondered if she knew any other colors. Mai saw him and smiled before rushing towards him and giving him a kiss (Zuko didn't like it very much he preferred the warm caramel hands touching his cheeks and the soft lips rather than Mai's cold pale hands and hard rough lips)
"Hey you're sister Ty Lee and I are going out tonight do you want to come?" she asked. Zuko had the thought of spending the night with three girls and his sister as one of them. He'll pass.
"No thanks. I'm doing something with Sokka and Aang today anyway"
Mai looked upset when she heard the names of Sokka and Aang. She never really did like them. Ever since Zuko had been friends with them he was always less with her and more with them and that low class girl. Katara. The name rolled on her tongue like a foul tasting medication. She had helped Zuko with a hangover. That was her job not that girl's. And what annoyed her most was the way Zuko looked at her. She had always wished that Zuko would look at her the way he looked at that girl, but he never did. She loved Zuko and even though she found that scar unattractive he was still worth it. She knew he didn't love her as much as she loved him. Sometimes she thought he didn't love her at all. But of course he did. Why else would he be her boyfriend? (A/N Oh Mai you have no idea why he is your boyfriend) Suddenly a thought came through her mind. Why was Katara overnight at Zuko's? Was Zuko cheating on her. Mai exterminated the though from her mind.
No. She can't be. Zuko wouldn't do that to me would he?
Searching for an answer Mai looked at Zuko in the eyes.
No he wouldn't.
"Oh yeah Mai I need to tell you something"
Mai saw Zuko scratching his head.
Oh no. Zuko if you have something to say to me say it now.
"Yeah Zuko?"
"I- um…"
Tell me Zuko. Look me straight into the eyes and tell me. If your going to break up with me just say it.
"Yeah Zuko? Go on I don't have all day?" she said quite cruelly.
Zuko hated the way she said that. This was exactly why he didn't love her.
"Um… I'm sorry but-"
No. Mai couldn't stand this. She couldn't let him do this to her. She couldn't lose her. She loved him. Why didn't he love her? Wait of course he loved her. Did he?
Quickly Mai sped forward put a hand on Zuko's shoulder and reached up to kiss him.
"Too late" she said and went straight out the door her eyes brimming with tears that she couldn't stop. No. She couldn't cry. She promised herself she would cry anymore. She quickly rushed out of the apartment building and back to her car to sob.
Zuko was all she had. All she wanted. It was her. It wasn't that she hadn't tried to change. She wanted to change for him. She wanted to. Mai lifted her face from her hands and looked forward into space. She would change. She would change for him and then she'll win him from that girl. She was the problem and she would fix herself by herself and she'll show him who she can be. Mai got a mini mirror from her hand bag and looked at her puffy eyes and red nose. She calmed herself down a bit and then got out her wallet. It was time for some shopping and a different style too. She started her car and drove her car first to the nearby mall. She entered a clothing shop and looked around the place. It was filled with people but it wasn't full. She saw the different clothing and wondered how some people could wear things like this. There were brightly colored clothing every where and sashes or jackets as well. She didn't know what to pick since she hadn't worn many bright colors before but luckily a person that worked there saw he in her confusedness.
"Hi you need some help?"
Mai turned to see a woman slightly older than she was, her hair was brown and in high pigtails. She wore colors that were bright and looked as if she knew about style. Mai tried to smile sweetly.
"Yeah I'm trying to find something that suits me" she answered. The worker looked at Mai from head to toe to see what would look best on her.
"Wait her for a moment" said the employee and went off. Mai waited quite impatiently but the lady did come back eventually with a leather black jacket in her hand.
"How about this?" she asked. Mai quickly shook her head. Did she really seem that gothic? She didn't want black anymore.
"No I want something colorful. You see I'm trying to change" she explained. The worker smiled slyly.
"Ooooh I see! Is it for a Mister?"
Mai blushed and nodded. The worker laughed.
"Okay then come with me"
Mai followed her to an area of (not surprisingly) bright clothes of T-Shirts.
"Look around here and see if you find anything you like. I'll search this rack" said the lady. Mai nodded and started to search for something and to her surprise not once did she wish she was around black clothing. She in fact quite enjoyed it.
"My name is Kya by the way" said the worker. Mai nodded.
"I'm Mai"
"Nice name. It means beautiful you know?" said Kya. "So what does the Mister like?"
Mai thought for awhile and stopped searching. What did Zuko like? She thought about the girls Zuko would like. Immediately Katara entered her mind. Mai thought she was going to face the truth and deal with the fact that Katara was Zuko's type of girl. She began to remember what Katara usually wore.
"Something fun, not revealing but shows you're an interesting sort of person. Something that's bright and funky but tells them you have a limit and there's a price for you. Nothing to bright though"
Kya didn't answer and just went on searching the rack mumbling a few things as she went like 'No way' or 'Too awesome for words'. Mai looked at her own rack. She didn't like most of them but there were a few that she thought were nice. Most of them were really bright but they were interesting and new to Mai's eyes. When was the last time she hadn't worn black? Then Mai spotted 'it'. Most girls here will know what 'it' meant. Mai had found 'it' and the pleasure of finding 'it' too. And since most of the male population is just staring right at the screen going 'WHAT THE HECK IS 'IT'?' I'll tell them. 'It' was 'it'. The perfect piece of clothing for a girl. It was exactly what they had been looking for and what they had dreamed off getting once they had found (well it isn't stealing it's just a creative way of paying for things) their parents credit card. The clothing was a T-Shirt. It was the prettiest thing Mai had ever seen before. The colour was a sunset orange and it seemed to have thin layer just collapsing over the other but what she made it was the sparkles that were on it and shiny metallic orange beads that hung on the end of each layer. Mai lifted it gently from the rack and stared. This was what she needed. She carefully ran her fingers over the material. It was SO SOFT!! Just beautiful!
"Found anything yet?" asked Kya and she turned around and looked at Mai who was caressing the shirt. Mai turned to Kya and smiled while Kya had a look on her face that said 'I'm proud of you'. Kya looked at what Mai was currently wearing right now and then back at the shirt. This was a real change for this girl. She must really love this guy to change like she was doing.
"You really love this guy don't you?" said Kya. Mai nodded back still smiling. Kya put her hands on her hips and sighed.
"Well let's go find you some pants and the rest" said Kya.
The went around for ages finding clothing items one after the other, pants, jackets, skirts, stockings and all the other clothing items you could think of. Once they were done Kya led Mai into the dressing room and Mai tried on the clothing. They had gotten her skinny leg Denim jeans and orange high heels to match the shirt; her jacket was a brown with fur at the color and then belt was brown to match that jacket. Mai looked at herself proudly and then beckon Kya in to take a look at the clothing. Kya smiled at the sight.
"You look beautiful Mai" said Kya. Mai felt so flushed with the thoughts of how Zuko would look at her when she let him see her like this.
"Kya do you think you can help me find some make and some jewelry as well?" asked Mai. Kya smiled motherly.
"It would be my pleasure" she answered. "Your Mister is sure going to love this look on you". Kya disappeared from sight and Mai looked back at herself in the mirror. She loved it how Kya called Zuko her Mister. Zuko was her Mister and not Katara's. Her's.
"I'm going to be enough for you Zuko" she said to herself. "I promise you I'll be that girl that you wanted me to be"
But Mai didn't know that she couldn't be the girl Zuko wanted her to be. Zuko didn't want her to change he just wanted someone else.
Author's Note: I wanted to put in this chapter because most Zutara fanfics really bash Mai and I don't want that in my fanfics. Mai I think is misunderstood by some Zutarians but she really does love Zuko.
I put the orange thing for the irony of when she said she hated the color orange and to show how much she wanted to change for Zuko.
About Kya. Don't worry this isn't going to have Yuri in it…I think… Well we'll see how it goes.
As for the 'Gay' talk in the beginning. I confess I'm a Yaoi fan and proud of it.
I'm thinking of drawing Mai (well what Mai would look in the world she's in) would look like in the clothes she got in this chapter. I'll post it on my DeviantArt account if I do.
Reviews are loved!
I don't own Avatar this is a fanfic but I own the characters that I have made for this fanfic.
I hope you enjoyed it all!