Chapter Text
Ty Lee bites her nails nervously. She shifts her stance. She fixes her hair. She drums with her fingers on the table. She taps her foot. Seconds are flowing by very slowly.
Then Mai appears and sits down in the chair facing her, startling Ty Lee, who almost jumps up from her seat.
“Hey” Mai says awkwardly and looks at Ty Lee. She feels her face flush. Keep it together. You got this.
“H-hi! What’s up?”
Mai shrugs. “Nothing much. Sorry for being late, I got held up at home”
“Everything okay?”
Mai stiffens. “Yes. Father and I just had a small” she pauses, seemingly looking for the right word. “Disagreement.”
“Are you okay?” Ty Lee asks, now concerned. The disagreements in her family home would sometimes become physical and more often than not end with at least one person crying in their room.
“Yes. I’m fine, don’t worry about it” Mai’s expression softens at the sight of Ty Lee’s very concerned facial expression. “Really. I’m okay. Dad just didn’t want me to leave for literally no reason so he locked me in my room.” She smirks. “Sadly for him, I can leave through the window”
She says it in a way that makes it seem like this wasn’t the first time this happened, and she’s gotten used to it over time.
“Uh, well, that doesn’t seem okay” Ty Lee says, but quickly adds “my parents used to do that too, though” when she sees that Mai put her guard back up. Mai’s eyes widen for a second but she quickly regains her normal stoic expression.
“Are you okay?” she asks, imitating Ty Lee’s tone from earlier. Or maybe she’s actually worried, Ty Lee doesn’t know for sure. She nods, and grins at Mai. “Sure am. It’s been years since I left, which I’m guessing has contributed to my well-being. Also, therapy.”
Mai just slowly nods.
As if on cue to end this conversation the waitress appears. “Hi, I’m On Ji, are you guys ready to order?”
Ty Lee smiles at her. “Yes! I’ll have number 12 on the menu and a fruit pie, if that’s okay”
On Ji writes the order down on a small note block she brought. Then she looks at Mai. “What about you?”
“Uhh, I’ll have number seven” On Ji writes down the order. She turns to leave, walks two steps and then turns around and comes back. “One more thing, are you guys paying together or separately?”
“I’ll pay” Ty Lee pipes up.
“Wha- it’s fine, I can pay”
Ty Lee shoots Mai a smile she hopes doesn’t look too obviously like she’s trying to make a move. “It’s fine, I got it”
Mai rolls her eyes but Ty Lee can see the corner of her mouth twitch.
On Ji scribbles some more on her notepad and then looks up. “That’ll be 30 yuans”. Ty Lee grabs her wallet and hands her the money.
When they’re alone again Ty Lee props her head up on her hands and looks Mai in the eyes. “You, okay?”
Mai tilts her head ever so slightly, and Ty Lee is certain she wouldn’t even have noticed it a few weeks ago. She hesitates for a split second before replying with a “Yes”. It doesn’t sound very believable, but Ty Lee is sure that Mai will tell her if she needs to, so she drops the subject. They sit in quiet for a few minutes.
Mai clears her throat. “So” she begins awkwardly. “It’s come to my attention that, uhm, I don’t know much about you, so like I don’t know, where are you from?” Her cheeks seem slightly more red than usual but it’s probably just because of the light in the restaurant.
“Right! so, I’m actually from the fire nation. I moved to republic city a few years ago. What about you?”
Mai shrugs. “I was born in the fire nation but then we moved here when I was about four, I think so I grew up here.”
“Why’d you move?” Ty Lee asks, hoping she doesn’t sound too invested.
“I think it had something to do with my dad’s job, since he works for Ozai, but I don’t know for sure. Why’d you move?”
Ty Lee shrugs. “Oh, you know, I just got bored at some point, and I felt the need to wander and see the world, you know?”
Mai nods and Ty Lee feels relief washing over her. Thank Agni she believed my little lie.
Even though it’s the standard thing she tells people, Ty Lee is still unsure of how believable and convincing her lie is. I wasn’t even entirely untrue, she’d just leave out a few details because people usually have no business knowing all about her. Right now, though, she feels an urge to tell Mai more.
“Anyway, I met Suki on my journey through the earth kingdom and then we moved here together.”
Mai seems awkward all of a sudden. She clears her voice. “I was wondering, uhm, were you and Suki ever, I dunno, involved?” She grimaces, as if the way she worded the question is hurting her physically.
Ty Lee feels her face flush. “I- I guess you could say that??? I mean, we hooked up a couple of times back on Kyoshi but that was nothing, really.” She takes a deep breath. “We weren’t romantically involved, and even if we were, we’re not anymore.”
Mai looks relieved and a small smile tugs on the corner of her lips. “You got pretty flustered there, huh?” She chuckles.
Ty Lee grins at her. “I guess so” she says, more cheerfully than she feels, because Agni what if Mai thinks less of her now and what if she’s one of those people that think you can’t be friends with someone you used to hook up with and-
Her train of thought is interrupted by On Ji who has returned with their noodles. “Here you go” she says as she puts the utensils on the table. She wishes them a nice meal and bows in traditional fire nation manner before leaving.
Mai blows on her food. “You know, I think it’s pretty cool that you guys get along so well, considering you used to hook up.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, I mean, not that I have a lot of experience regarding that, but I don’t think I could.” She blushes. “Do that, I mean. Like, being roommates with your ex.” She adds hastily.
Ty Lee shrugs. “I guess. It’s not that impressive though, since there were no real feelings attached and the breakup was a mutual I think were better as ’friends without the benefits’ type of thing.”
“Still. I’m guessing you’ve seen each other naked and stuff.” She shudders. “I could never.”
Ty Lee laughs. “Oh, it’s nothing, really. It took some getting used to, but to be honest Suki’s become my best friend.” All of a sudden, she remembers something Sokka had mentioned quite a while ago. “Wait. Didn’t you and Zuko date??”
Mai frowns. “I guess.”
“What does that mean”
“Well, our dads kept trying to set us up with each other and at some point, he actually asked me out” she chuckles. “Most awkward thing I’ve ever seen, but I did say yes. Happened before both of us realized we’re gay though.”
“You’re gay?”
“Complete and utter lesbian” Mai deadpans. “Don’t tell me you didn’t know...?”
“I mean, no, I knew you’re not straight, but you know, labels.” Ty Lee shrugs helplessly. “They’re hard, ya know? Plus, not everyone uses one” She looks down. “I didn’t wanna assume anything…”
Mai rolls her eyes with a smile. “S’fine. I really should tape a flag to my forehead, shouldn’t I”
Ty Lee laughs. “I guess. Though that might not work because of your bangs”
“Shit, I forgot all about them” And spirits, Mai grins and Ty Lee thinks her brain has stopped due to a sudden allergy to pretty girls, which is not good because she needs it to work in order to keep this conversation going.
Luckily, On Ji comes to rescue. Or not. She collects the dishes and then wishes the pair a “very nice rest of your date”. So much for rescue.
“So” Mai says, as they step outside the restaurant. “You really didn’t know I’m a lesbian?” There is a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
Ty Lee shrugs. “Not specifically. Like I said, labels are a complicated thing and not everyone even uses them. I didn’t want to make any assumptions about you or anything.”
Mai touches her arm. “Hey. It’s okay. Can I just ask you though, what did you think this” she gestures between the two of them, and toward the restaurant “was supposed to be?”
Ty Lee’s cheeks flush crimson. This is my chance! And then, before she can chicken out, she takes a deep breath. “I know this might sound dumb, but I was kind of hoping it would be a romantic type of thing. A date.”
Mai smiles, and her expression might just be the softest thing Ty Lee has ever seen. “That’s what I was hoping too.” She pauses, visibly trying to work up the courage for the next question. “Can I kiss you?”
Ty Lee answers by taking a step forward and pressing her lips against Mai’s.
Mai makes a muffled sound of surprise, but returns the kiss almost immediately, quickly recovering, and oh spirits Ty Lee has never had a better kiss.
(She’s also never been pining after someone for this long before but that for sure has nothing to do with how the kiss feels. Definitely not.)
Mai’s cheeks are flushed when they pull apart and her pupils are blown wide.
“Woah” is all she manages. Her mouth opens and closes. She clears her throat. “That. That was pretty neat”
Ty Lee flashes a grin, suddenly feeling confident. “I agree. We should definitely do that again sometime.”
Mai nods slowly.
“So!” Ty Lee takes her hand. “Want to go for a walk? I’d like to get to know you better, if that’s okay.”
Mai clears her throat. “y-yeah, that’d be nice.”
They head for the park, walking slowly.
After a while of some quiet Ty Lee decides to take the lead and is just about to say something when Mai interrupts her. “So……………what’s your favourite colour?”
Ty Lee stares at her. “What.”
Mai shrugs at her and grimaces.
“Pink I guess?” She looks at Mai who seems to be entirely helpless and completely out of her comfort zone. “You don’t have a lot of experience with …this stuff, do you?” She says slowly.
Mai just sort of nods awkwardly.