Chapter Text
Sitting in her studio class, Mai’s eyes kept darting towards the clock by the door. Sure, figure drawing was cool and all, but a four hour class on a Friday is draining no matter how interesting what you’re doing is. She absentmindedly spun her pencil with one hand and tapped a staccato beat on the edge of her drawing pad with the other. Her head felt heavy as a restlessness began to set in, each second on the clock seemingly passing in slow motion. Mai glanced around the room and observed that her peers looked equally as drained of life as she felt in that moment.
If this class goes on for any longer, I might go insane or just drop dead.
After what felt like an eternity, the professor finally dismissed them. Mai gathered her charcoals and pencils and shoved them into her tote bag swiftly. Tucking her sketchbook and her drawing pad under her arm, she waved goodbye to her professor and rushed out the door. It’s not like she had anywhere urgent to be, but Mai had been bored out of her mind and antsy, so she was more than ready to make her exit.
She leisurely made her way to the train station, listening to her favorite playlist. The ride home from university was never really packed. Her classes were scheduled in a way so that she made it to the station at one of those odd times where it’s eerily empty. Sitting down on a bench, she observed the couple people around her, people watching is a favorite pastime of hers. The commute home is her quiet time. Mai purposely took the local train, rather than the express, to elongate her time alone. She loves her Aunt Mura, and she loves living with her, but sometimes her aunt felt like Ty Lee in the body of an old woman with her cheerful smiles and chatter. She’ll probably never admit it, but Mai deeply cherishes the fact that her aunt genuinely cares for her and listens to her. Aunt Mura actually treats her like a person, rather than a doll, which is more than she can say about her parents. All that love and attention is something that she once desperately craved from any adult around her, but now that she finally has it, it can be a bit overwhelming for Mai to handle at times. So, her venture home is her respite.
The nearly empty train car is like a temporary sanctuary for her. A place where she can just sit, read, sketch, or just simply listen to music and pretend she doesn’t exist for a while. Sometimes it felt that way too, since most people in Republic City kept to themselves, barely sparing the next person a glance. Not that she minds, Mai actually found that to be perfectly fine. The train then pulled up to the platform, Mai boarded and took a seat. She decided she wanted to read today, so she pulled out her well-loved copy of Love Amongst the Dragons. She has read the novelization of the play countless times, but she finds a sort of comfort in reading it again. Mai usually read more existential, philosophical books, typically about being miserable and living miserable lives, all while accepting the universe doesn’t care about you, but sometimes she treated herself by indulging in some lighthearted entertainment, a harmless guilty pleasure.
About two stops later, a guy who looked like he was about to fall asleep standing up got on the train. Mai discretely glanced at him over her book, noticing the way his eyes were struggling to stay open. She knew she had a tiresome day, but this poor guy was worse for wear. Looking back down at her book, her mind drifted away from the new passenger…until he sat down right next to her. It was just her and a handful of others in this train car, but for some reason he chose to sit right next to her. Mai rationalized that it was mostly likely due to the fact that he looked like he was barely hanging onto consciousness, and she decided to sit right by the door, but still it was kind of annoying and popped her bubble of solitude that she held so dear. Mai hoped that at least he’ll keep to himself or get off the train soon, but she has never really been a lucky person.
—————
Zuko could barely stand stable on his own two feet. He yawned for what felt like a comically long time, and then finally got back to work.
Why in the world did I agree to a double shift after pulling an all nighter to study for an exam? Uncle would have understood if I just told him… ugh but I don’t want to seem like I’m taking advantage of his kindness. He already lets me live with him.
Blinking hard, Zuko shook his head to try to clear out the fog he felt in his head. Wavering a bit, he leaned on the table he was wiping down. He put the towel back in his apron pocket and picked up his tray, gathering all the empty teacups left behind. In his attempt to head to the kitchen of the tea shop, he tripped over the leg of one of the tables and started to fall. Moving impressively quick for a man his age and size, his Uncle Iroh swooped in, catching the young man and the tray of porcelain teacups. Steading his bewildered nephew, he placed his hands on Zuko’s shoulder as a chuckle escaped him.
“Well, dear nephew, you seem tired today,” Iroh remarked as he patted Zuko on the back. “Perhaps you should go back home and rest.”
Zuko rubbed his eyes as he considered this offer. He did want to go home and sleep, but he felt guilty leaving his uncle with even more work to do around the tea shop. He knew his uncle wouldn’t mind, but he just didn’t feel like that was the honorable thing to do. Right as he opened his mouth, ready to decline the offer, Iroh chuckled again.
“Nephew, I know you are a stubborn one,” Iroh joked with a warm smile. “How about this? I will make you an offer. I will stay here and cover your responsibilities if you go downtown to the flower shop to pick up my weekly order? Then, you can go back to the apartment and rest. You need it, even if you don’t think you do.”
Closing his eyes for a moment to keep his headache at bay, Zuko mulled over the offer.
Iroh sensed Zuko hesitating and chimed in, “Oh, don’t worry about me. The Jasmine Dragon is my life, you are not burdening me with work. I take joy in each task, dear nephew. Why don’t you head over to the train station.”
Zuko took a cleansing breath, and placed a hand on Iroh’s shoulder. “Thank you, Uncle. I’ll go pick up your flowers, and to make up for the extra work, I’ll bring home dinner so you won’t have to cook.”
His uncle smiled brightly at him, and patted him on the back once more. “Great thinking, Zuko. Then, after dinner, maybe you can actually go to sleep tonight. Don’t think I didn’t notice you pulling an all-nighter.”
Iroh laughed as he took Zuko’s apron and started pushing him towards the exit of the tea shop. Blushing from embarrassment, Zuko decided to not grace his uncle with a response to his comment and simply told Iroh he would see him later and waved as he walked towards the train station. Zuko chose to stand, rather than sit, while waiting for the train, since he feared falling asleep in the station. It was a miracle from Agni himself that he could still stand upright. Exhaustion had Zuko in its unrelenting hold, and he struggled to keep his eyes open. Giving up the battle, he decided to just close his eyes for a few moments, leaning against the tiled wall of the station. After a few achingly short minutes, Zuko opened his eyes as he heard the train approach. His mind felt foggy, and all he wanted to do was take a seat on the train and reward himself with a brief nap.
In his haze, he realized too late that in this nearly empty subway car, he decided to sit next to one of the only people on board. He silently chastised himself for making it awkward and weird.
Ugh, spirits. I swear to Agni, why can’t I be smarter and not get myself into situations like this.
For a moment, he had an internal debate. He considered getting up and sitting elsewhere, though he feared that this girl might be offended by this for some reason. Although, she might appreciate him moving, so she can sit in solitude once more. She doesn’t seem like the type to indulge in small talk with strangers, considering she is making an effort to continue reading and act like she didn’t even notice him sit down, even though he heard her sigh in what he believed to be exasperation. Zuko took too long to come to a decision by the time the train leaves the platform, and he knew that he could barely walk straight on solid ground, so there was no way he’d be able to get up and walk elsewhere in the moving train without making an even bigger fool out of himself. So, for better or for worse, he remained seated.
Zuko snuck a glance at the girl sitting next to him, and his breath caught. She was probably the coolest girl Zuko thinks he had ever seen, actually more like the coolest person he had ever laid his eyes on. The intoxicating scent of jasmine emanated from her. She had the shiniest black hair pulled up in two buns that appear to be held in place with what look like two knives in each one and thick, blunt bangs. Several silver piercings adorned her ear with the addition of a little knife earring dangling down, matching with those in her hair. Rather heavy looking chain necklaces hung from her neck. She is wearing a fishnet top with a baggy black band t-shirt draped over top, a long purple skirt, and the most intimidating platform boots. Zuko wondered for a moment how she manages to walk around the city in those without breaking an ankle. He then realized that he has been staring at this poor girl for a bit too long, and blushed bright red. Hoping to relieve some of the awkward tension he brought upon the two of them, he decided to start a conversation with her.
With a shaky hand, he tapped her on the arm to catch her attention. With a small sigh, she took out her earbuds, closed her book, and looked up at him. When their gazes locked together, his dark gold eyes meeting her pretty pale gold eyes, Zuko blushed an even deeper red and suddenly forgot what he was going to say to her. In a bit of panic, he averted his eyes down to the book in her lap and looked back up at her.
“Oh, you’re reading Love Amongst the Dragons? I, uhh, I really like that play,” he stuttered slightly, his heart pounding in his chest, “It’s actually one of my favorites.”
No longer able to look into her eyes anymore, he looked to the slide, rubbing the back of his neck out of embarrassment.
Mai smiled a bit to herself while he wasn’t looking. She never liked small talk, especially with random strangers, but there was something so endearing about this guy’s awkward nature. Plus, it didn’t hurt that he was cute, and his raspy voice made Mai’s heart race. She cleared her throat, and he looked back at her once more.
“Yeah, it’s one of my favorites too…”, she paused for a moment, her tone flatter than she intended. Briefly, she wondered if she should say more, which would be quite unusual for Mai, but decided against it.
Instead, she gifted him with a subtle smile, which is a gesture that Mai doesn’t give to just anyone. He beamed back at her, and she immediately felt her cheeks grow warm and her smile become more genuine. Zuko thought her slight blush was so beautiful, he couldn’t help but blush in return. It was pleasantly surprising to him that she didn’t show one trace of disgust or hesitance while looking straight into his eyes. There was no ignoring his scar, yet this girl didn’t seem to react to it at all. Not even the involuntary subtle wide-eyed expression that most people get for a moment after looking at him. This made his heart soar. Not knowing what to do next, with neither of them being super socially adept, Mai broke the lingering eye contact and picked her book back up. Though, she found herself unable to concentrate on the words in front of her over the sound of her pounding heart. Taking a quick peek back at the guy over her book, she noticed again how exhausted he must be as he started to nod off.
—————
Zuko was quickly losing his battle against the desire to sleep, so he leaned his head back on the window behind him and shut his eyes, drifting into a rather deep sleep. Everything was fine, until the train came to an abrupt halt at the next stop, knocking Zuko’s head off the window and onto Mai’s shoulder without him waking up.
Mai held her breath for a moment, making a conscious effort to stay perfectly still to not jostle the guy awake. With a long sigh, Mai thought hard about her next course of action.
Should I wake him up? Ugh, no, because then what would I say to him? But, I don’t know what his stop is, what if he misses it? Wait… Why do I care if he misses his stop? He did seem really tired, maybe I’ll just let him sleep. That way we won’t have to struggle through anymore small talk, not that I would necessarily be opposed to it… he is quite amusing.
While feeling awkward about having a stranger sleeping on her, Mai decided to go with the lesser of two evils and let him continue his nap. Sure, she was unsure how to go about this situation, but it soothed her that he seemed nice enough. Albeit, a bit strange in an endearing way, but he didn’t seem like a creep or the type to murder her or anything like that. It didn’t hurt that he was quite attractive. Mai had a rough day herself, so she could sympathize with him, and if the roles were reversed, she would prefer him to do the same and not mention it once she did wake. She would be mortified.
With the close vicinity between the two, Mai took the opportunity to get a good look at him. He had longer hair, maybe shoulder length, pulled up in a messy ponytail with shorter strands framing his face. He had a peaceful expression in his sleep. A dark red scar covered the side of his face not resting on her shoulder. It seemed the darkest around his eye and feathered out over his cheek and his damaged left ear. She took notice that he didn’t have an eyebrow on the scarred side, and her breath caught as she tried to fathom what could have happened to him. It didn’t take away from how handsome he was though, and Mai would not pry into his past. He was dressed in a simple, yet tasteful outfit-- a black t-shirt tucked into a pair of black ripped jeans, a belt with a gold buckle shaped like the Fire Nation insignia, and red sneakers. Taking a deep breath, she found that he smelled faintly of tea and cinnamon, and his scent in combination with the warmth of his breath was calming and comforting to Mai in a way that she didn’t quite understand.
After a moment of peace, Mai realized she is one stop away from her destination. Her heart started to race as she considered her course of action. She glanced at the boy on her shoulder again, and her fingers itched to tuck the stray hair behind his ear. The impulse to run her fingers through his soft, messy brown hair was almost too strong. Mai had no idea why she felt so connected to this stranger.
That’s all he is, Mai. A stranger. Now get a hold of yourself.
Coming to her senses, she reached over and gently shook him awake, praying to Agni that the events that will follow won’t be as embarrassing as she envisioned them being.
He jolted awake with a not-so-graceful snore. Temporarily confused, he took in his surroundings and then remembered where he was and what he had to do. He made a mental list, trying to gather his thoughts coherently in his bleary-eyed state.
- I am on the train.
- I have to pick up the flowers for the tea shop.
- I have to get dinner for myself and Uncle.
Zuko then noticed that someone was talking to him. He looked towards the person speaking, and then it dawned on him that he totally fell asleep on this girl’s shoulder.
—————
He focused on the sound of her voice. It was calm, raspy, and low, and it made his pulse quicken.
Once she felt that she had his full attention, Mai gently repeated herself. “Hey, I’m sorry to wake you, but my stop is next, the Caldera Street Station. I didn’t know which stop was yours and if you missed it, but it looked like you needed the sleep.”
Mai wasn’t sure why she cared enough to say all that, but she couldn’t just leave him stranded on the train to get lost in the labyrinth of the Republic City subway system.
With a bright smile, he broke out of his sleep-induced trance. “Ha, what a coincidence, that’s my stop too! Oh, and I’m so sorry for falling asleep on you, I didn’t mean to make it weird or creepy, I’m so sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I really can be an idiot sometimes and--”
She cut him off with a hard exhale that was almost a laugh and a gesture to stop with her hand. “Don’t worry so much,” she reassured him with the corners of her black painted lips quirking up in a nearly imperceptible smile.
Zuko sighed in relief, and rubbed at his eyes, trying to clear the last remnants of sleep. The two of them sat in silence, a slight tension hanging over them. Both were unsure what to do next. Zuko reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone… only to find that it was dead, because of course he forgot to charge it this morning. Putting it back in his pocket, he leaned back in his seat and rubbed his temples.
What are the odds that we’re getting off at the same stop? Agni needs to stop playing tricks on me, at this point it’s just cruel. I should say something to her, I’ll never forgive myself if I never see her again once we leave the station… there’s just something so alluring about her. Plus, I need directions, since I can’t use my phone. Ugh, why am I so stupid!?
Mai stared down at her hands, studying her pointed black nails. The charged silence between them was almost too much for her to bear. She isn’t used to this extent of social interaction with a stranger, not one she felt so strongly for anyways. Needing something to do with her hands, she pulled out one of her knives from her pocket and twirled it. It provided her with a comforting distraction, doubling as a warning for the strange boy next to her in case her judgement of his character was wrong. Her perceptiveness never failed her before, but it didn’t hurt to take the extra precaution nonetheless.
Zuko caught sight of the gleaming metal out of the corner of his eye and was mesmerized by the spinning blade. He was suitably impressed, his attraction to the mysterious girl heightened. He noted to himself that she clearly could protect herself and probably wouldn’t hesitate kicking his ass with her platform boots should he try anything weird. Not that Zuko would, but he began to worry about how he’d ask her for help finding the flower shop without making her feel uncomfortable. He really didn’t want to be stabbed today.
The train finally reached the Caldera Street Station. As the doors opened, Zuko held his breath. It was strange enough that he fell asleep on this poor girl’s shoulder, but he couldn’t just let her walk away, though it would be equally, if not more strange if he started following her. She started to get up, and he scrambled to his feet, helping her gather her sketchbook and drawing pad. She thanked him silently with a nod, and began to head towards the door. Exiting the train, she turned to him once more and smiled, then began to walk away.
With his palms sweating and his pulse pounding in his ears, he called out to her, “Wait a minute! Can I ask you something?”
Mai turned around, looking back at Zuko, her pale gold eyes lined with thick black eyeliner shining in the dim lighting of the underground station. Once again, his breath caught at her beauty. He nervously tugged at his ponytail as he gathered the courage to talk to her.
“Hey, um… do you live around here?”, he asked her while rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
Mai’s eyes narrowed and her gaze locked with his, trying to figure out where in the world this is going with this. Zuko glanced away, feeling intimidated.
“Why do you wanna know?”, she responded with a bit of caution in her voice.
With his face bright red, he stuttered out, “Oh, umm I-I, uhhh…I didn’t mean it in a creepy way. I swear to Agni.”
He looked into her eyes in a pleading way looking for a trace of a reaction in her blank expression. Finding nothing, he continued rambling, “I was just asking because I have to pick up flowers at the flower shop, and I wasn’t sure where it is. My phone died, so I can’t use my map, and I’m not familiar with this area, so-“
She cut him off with a quiet, breathy laugh. “You want me to show you where the flower shop is?”, she drawled with a raised eyebrow, hoping for a concise response.
Zuko smiled sheepishly at her, “Yes! Oh, I mean uhh, sure if you don’t mind, if it’s not a bother.”
She heaved a heavy sigh and fought back a smile. Zuko could only assume it was directed at his idiotic tendancies. Though, instead of feeling insulted or annoyed, it was strangely endearing. She looked back at him, “Yeah it’s not a problem, I’m heading that way too.”
“Thank the spirits. Wow, I really owe you for this,” he said with a laugh.
She rolled her eyes, and in a cheeky tone she said, “Hmm… we’ll see about that.” She kept walking forward, her thoughts racing. He chuckled and picked up his pace to keep up with her.
It feels almost like the universe is pushing us together, if you believe in stuff like that. But, in all seriousness, what are the odds that he sits next to me, falls asleep on my shoulder, gets off at my stop, and needs to pick up flowers at the flower shop I work at? Weird...yeah definitely weird...but at least something interesting is happening for once.
Zuko broke through her musing, “Oh, um...I’m Zuko by the way. What’s your name?”
She slowed her steps down a bit, and looked into his eyes, “Mai.”
Zuko repeated her response, “Mai, that’s a pretty name.”
Not used to random compliments, Mai mumbled out a shy, quiet thank you. Both of them strolled in their newfound leisurely pace, basking in comfortable silence. A thought suddenly dawned on Zuko.
Mortified, he broke the silence and stopped walking, “Oh Agni, I wasn’t thinking. I just want to clarify that the flowers aren’t for a girl or anything. I promise I’m not that big of a dick, out here flirting with a girl on the way to get flowers for another. They’re for the tea shop I work at, my uncle owns the place, and he believes that the fresh flowers create a zen atmosphere or something like that, I don’t know I wasn’t quite paying attention. I didn’t want you to think I was leading you on like a sleazy douchebag or something.”
Mai stopped walking too and was struck by the genuine nervousness that was written all over his face and the panic that seemed to ooze from his pores. In all honesty, she didn’t even consider that he could have been picking up flowers for a significant other or someone like that, but her mind then focused on the fact that he straight up said he was flirting with her. It made her feel almost giddy. Plus, his tendency to ramble on was kind of charming.
In her effort to ease his mind, she responded with a small laugh, “Don’t worry so much, that thought didn’t even cross my mind. Though, I can say I am so relieved that the stranger who fell asleep on my shoulder and begged me for directions isn’t a dirty cheater on top of all that. But, I would prefer that over you being a creepy stalker who’s going to follow me home and stab me to death or something, so imagine my relief.”
Zuko just stared at her for a second, a bit shocked by her sense of humor, before bursting into a full blown laughing fit. Watching him clutch at his sides in laughter, Mai couldn’t help but join in with her own small giggles, the sound was contagious. After he calmed down a bit, they started walking again.
With one last quiet laugh, Zuko glanced at Mai, thinking she was so beautiful with that slight smirk she had when she didn’t think he was looking, “Well, I guess I should tell you about my shit show of a day, since you’re probably wondering what caused me to fall asleep on a stranger like a creep.”
Mai looked at him with amusement twinkling in her eyes, teasing him she replied, “I guess that would satiate some of my curiosity.”
Zuko drew in a deep breath, then began his explanation of his hellish day, “So, yesterday, I pulled an all-nighter for an exam I had this morning. Which was already a bad idea, because I nearly fell asleep during it. Then, right after, I had to work a double shift at the tea shop to cover for a friend, which was also a bad idea. But, it’s okay, I only broke three teacups. My Uncle Iroh told me I could cut my second shift short to go home and rest if I picked up the flowers for the shop. And then, well you know what happened after that…”, he chuckled a bit at the sheer ridiculousness that was his life.
Mai looked at him with slightly widen eyes, she failed to stifle her laughter, “Wow… yeah, I don’t blame you at all, I would drop dead too.”
Zuko was filled with warmth at the sound, feeling amazing that he got her to genuinely laugh. They finally arrived at the flower shop and stood on the sidewalk for a moment. Zuko took in the sight of the tastefully decorated storefront. He turned to thank Mai, and was surprised to see her walking towards the shop’s door, holding it open for him. The bell attached to the door rang out as the two entered the shop, causing the older woman behind the counter to turn around.
Still looking down at the bouquet in her hands, she greeted her new customers, “Hello, how may I help you?”
Finally looking up, she smiled conspiratorially once she noticed it was her beloved niece... with a boy.
“Mai, I didn’t expect you back so soon! You’re not scheduled to work today, are you? And you brought a friend, how lovely!” Aunt Mura then winked at Zuko, causing him to blush for what felt like the hundredth time today.
Agni, he thought, I really have to get that under control.
Mai sighed at her aunt’s forwardness, “Hello Auntie. He’s actually just here to pick up an order.”
Zuko paused for a moment, thinking hard as he put the pieces together. “Oh, that’s your aunt? You work here?”
Mai rolled her eyes playfully, “Yeah, hmm that was some good detective work.”
He ignored her sarcastic comment for the sake of his pride, turning to Mura to explain,“That’s so funny, because I work with my uncle, it’s his tea shop. I didn’t realize that was a common thing in Republic City.”
Mura laughed at his comment while Mai rolled her eyes once again.
Charmed by the young man, and always eager to jump at the opportunity to tease Mai lovingly, Mura joked, winking shamelessly at Zuko and Mai, “Hmmm, it seems like you too have a lot in common! How wonderful!”.
The two blushed heavily. Embarrassed, Mai almost whined, “Auntie… do you have to do that?”
Mura placed a hand on her niece’s shoulder, “Yes, yes I do, Mai. And I tease out of love, you know that. I just can’t help myself”, she quipped with a cheerful laugh.
“So....”, Mura said, turning toward Zuko, “How did you and my lovely niece meet?”
As Zuko relayed the whole story of him falling asleep on the train and saying how kind and helpful Mai is, Mai went into the back room to get the flowers. She scanned the shelves for an order under the name Iroh and found two huge bouquets of fire lilies and cherry blossoms. Walking back out two the main shop area, she observed Zuko and her aunt still enthusiastically engaged in conversation.
Mai shook her head subtly in slight awe of the interaction in front of her. She was not surprised at all to find that Zuko is the type of guy that old ladies love. It was actually quite funny to see, definitely made him even cuter in her opinion. Mai was a bit dumbfounded at the unusual turn of events of her day and the scene unfolding right before her eyes, though you would never know, her face betrayed nothing.
She placed the flowers on the counter. Just as Zuko went to reach for them, Aunt Mura put a hand over his to stop him. Looking at the two confused young adults, she suggested, “Why don’t you two go to the coffee shop on the corner for a bit? Zuko, dear, you need to caffeinate. Agni forbid you fall asleep on the train again young man, you need to get home safe.”
Mai stood, gaping at her aunt for a brief moment. Mura is always doing stuff like this, trying to get her to live a little and have fun. Sometimes, young men came into the flower shop and bought flowers for Mai in attempts to ask her out on a date, but Mai being Mai, found this disgustingly cliché and usually scared them away. This time though, she found herself going along with her aunt’s schemes, taking it as a blessing from the spirits in disguise.
Glancing at a bashful looking Zuko, Mai hesitantly agreed, “Umm, sure Auntie, if that’s okay with you Zuko…”
Tucking a stray hair behind his ear, he met Mai’s gaze and nodded, “Yeah, that sounds great.”
Aunt Mura smiled brightly, a little surprised that her niece didn’t groan or scoff at her efforts, “Well, get going you two. Don’t feel like you have to rush, take your time and enjoy! Oh, and don’t forget to come back for the flowers later, Zuko.”
She came out from behind the counter and gently pushed the two out of the store, “Have fun!”
—————
Embarrassed, but doing her best not to show it, Mai apologized, “Sorry about my aunt, she can be a bit overbearing like that, but I know she means well. She’s always pushing me to have more fun and live a little, she thinks I’m ‘wasting my youth’, though she might be right, because today is the most interesting day I’ve had since moving here.”
Placing a hand on her shoulder, he reassured her. “Hey, it’s okay. My uncle is the same exact way, but a lot more embarrassing about it. But, I know he does it out of love, even if I don’t appreciate it. And yeah, I can relate, he always says to me, ‘Zuko, you must enjoy life like a good cup of tea, savor each sip before it runs out.’ Well, it would be funnier if you knew what he sounded like, but yeah… you don’t have to apologize.”
Mai bit her lip, holding in her laughter at his impression of his uncle.
Zuko took one hand out of his pocket and tugged at his ponytail, “My uncle might have a heart attack if he knew I was willingly going to a coffee shop. He thinks coffee is sacrilegious, he calls it dirt water.”
Mai used all her willpower to stop herself from reaching out to hold his hand. “Honestly, I’m not much of a coffee drinker, I find it more useful in times of pure desperation. I do like tea though.”
He laughed at that, his smile so warm it was like the sun was looking at her, “From that comment, I know that my uncle will like you for sure.”
Both their faces were dusted with a slight pink as they reached the coffee shop. It was a warm, inviting looking cafe with the pleasant aroma of coffee permeating the air. It wasn’t crowded, and soft music and dim lights created a lovely atmosphere. The two walked up to the counter and ordered their drinks, Zuko got an Americano and Mai got Earl Grey tea.
Zuko was in the process of handing the cashier his credit card as Mai grabbed his arm. “I can pay for mine, Zuko.”
Refusing to let her do just that, he countered her plea as he handed the card over anyways, “You know, I did say I owed you for the train incident. It’s the least I can do.”
Grudgingly pacified, Mai shrugged and rolled her eyes, though he could see the slight smile she was trying to hide. After grabbing their mugs, they sat down at a cozy table in the corner. Sitting in comfortable silence, they sipped their drinks. Zuko stared out the window, in efforts to avoid the temptation of staring at Mai. Though, his eyes seemed to gravitate toward the print left behind on the cup from her black painted lips.
Looking up from her mug, she cleared her throat with caught his attention, “So, you mentioned having an exam this morning, what university do you go to? What are you studying?”
Zuko put his cup down, responding to her questions, “I am a second year at Republic City University. My major is journalism, because I want to be a theater critic.”
He nervously tugged at the collar of his t-shirt, “It’s weird, I know-”.
Mai motioned for him to stop his self-deprecating ramblings, “Not at all. I think that is really interesting, you did make a comment about loving “Love Amongst the Dragons” earlier, so I can tell it’s something you’re passionate about. What got you into that?”
Relieved that her gaze is completely free of judgement, he smiled as he replied, “Well, my mom is a stage actress, and we would always go to plays as a family growing up. She loved theater so much that it didn’t matter if it was a good production or not. But for me, I was pretty opinionated and critical about making sure the productions did the plays justice. So, I thought this would be the perfect thing to do. It’s something I love. My step father used to be an actor, and now he’s a director, and we talk about plays my mom makes us see together.”
Mai was pleased to hear Zuko talking about his passion, “That is actually really cool. I love that you’re studying something you feel so strongly about. You must be pretty knowledgeable about theater then.”
Feeling more confident now, he continued on, “Thanks so much! And yeah, haha, take my advice and never, and I really mean never, go see the Ember Island Players unless you want to see a dumpster fire. Though, that might be offensive to dumpster fires.”
Mai laughed behind her hand at his joke, and he joined in on her soft laughter.
“Also,” he said once their laughter dissipated, “I’m considering minoring in either screenwriting or creative writing, because I like to write stories too, but I found that to be more of a hobby than a career path, but it’s definitely something I want to keep up.”
He could see genuine intrigue in her eyes as she responded, “That’s cool, you should go for it. I think it’s cathartic to have a creative outlet. Plus, with all your extensive theater knowledge and opinions, I bet you’re a great writer. That can also be beneficial for your criticisms, since you’ll have more grasp on crafting storylines and emotion, rather than just the technical details of it all.”
Zuko beamed at her, taken aback that someone (besides his mother and uncle), saw potential in him and was encouraging. “Wow, thank you. That really means a lot to me.”
She smiled back at him and nodded in acknowledgement. After taking a sip of his coffee, he asked, “So, what do you do for school? I saw you had all that uhhh… drawing stuff on the train.”
Toying with her layered necklaces, she nodded again and replied, “I am also a second year at Republic City University. I’m double majoring in fine art and philosophy.”
In slight awe, Zuko said, “Wow! That is, and I really mean it, super cool. Tell me more about that.”
A bit shy from the reception, Mai opened up to him, “Philosophy is fascinating to me, and growing up, I used art to express my feelings and thoughts, so naturally, I combined the two. My artwork revolves around perceiving the world from an existential point of view, with subjects like loneliness, indifference, and the feeling of lacking purpose. It sounds super pretentious, I know…”
Mai looked away from him, hiding behind her bangs in embarrassment. To ease her mind, Zuko placed his hand over hers, “That’s amazing, Mai! You must be really talented and smart. Wow… I would love to see some of your work one day, if that’s okay with you, of course.”
Flushing at the praise she was not quite used to, she met his comforting gaze and was calmed by his warm hand that still covered her own. “Thank you… really, thank you, Zuko. Sorry, I just hate telling people about it, because I worry that they’ll say what I’ve always heard, you know. Like how my majors are ‘useless’, how my art is depressing and pretentious, just comments like that…I usually just ignore them, but that doesn’t mean I want to hear them.”
With his good eye wide with shock, he assured her, “Mai, don’t ever listen to comments like that. You are probably the most interesting person I have ever met. I think what you’re doing is so cool, and anyone who dared to say those things to you are fools. I really mean it.”
Mai sighed, picking up her mug with her free hand and taking a sip, “Thank you, Zuko. That’s really sweet of you to say. I have an art show at the end of the semester, I know it’s a bit forward to ask, considering we just met, but I was wondering if maybe you would like to come.”
Zuko smiled wide, “I would love to, Mai. I’ll be there.”
They sat together a little longer, finishing their drinks that Zuko had to warm up after they grew cold during their conversation. Mai reached into her bag and pulled out a pen. She grabbed a spare napkin and jotted down her number.
She passed the napkin over to Zuko, tapping his arm to get his attention, “Hey, this is for when you charge your phone. Text me when you get the chance.”
He grabbed the napkin eagerly and tucked it safely in his pocket, “T-thanks, I will.”
Mai smiled at him, “Also, don’t forget to pick up dinner for yourself and your uncle like you mentioned earlier. There’s a really good dumpling place down the street you could check out.”
Zuko laughed, because honestly he did kind of forget he promised to get dinner, “Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me. I’ll definitely check that place out, I trust your opinion.”
Once they finished, they got up from the table and headed towards the door. Timidly, Zuko grabbed Mai’s hand, and to his relief, didn’t let go. Rather, she gave him a gentle squeeze in return. They walked back to the flower shop hand in hand, taking their time to enjoy the cooling air and the setting sun. When they entered the flower shop, Mura was busy helping out a customer, so Mai released Zuko’s hand and went in the back to retrieve his order. He glanced around at the bonsai trees in the window display as he waited for her, thinking Iroh might like one. She came back out shortly after with two large bouquets, handing them to him.
Zuko, with his face bright red, nervously fidgeted with the bouquets in his hands. “Hey...umm...Mai, if you want to, I mean if you would like to...uhh,” Zuko paused for a second to gather his thoughts and courage, while Mai looked at patiently with the slightest smile.
Taking a deep breath, Zuko tried again. “If you’re free tomorrow morning, would you like to have tea with me at my uncle’s tea shop?”
Mai, charmed by his bashfulness, gifted him with a sweet smile and a nod, “Of course, Zuko, I would like that.”
Delighted that she said yes, Zuko beamed, his smile brighter than the sun, “Really!? Oh, I mean, that’s great!”
They stood in awkward silence, neither quite sure of an appropriate way to end this interaction. Feeling bold, Mai leaned over and kissed Zuko on the cheek. She whispered in his ear, “So, I’ll see you tomorrow?”.
His face grew warm as he smiled at her, “Y-yeah, of course... I’ll see you then! Oh, I’ll text you the details once I charge my phone.”
Chuckling under her breath, she smiled back at him, “Cool, I’ll talk to you later then. Don’t fall asleep on the way back, I won’t be there to wake you this time.”
He laughed at her joke, and her heart skipped a beat at the raspy, warm sound. Zuko said his goodbyes to Mai and Mura and walked out the door, turning around once to see Mai waving at him through the glass windows of the shop. The sight filled him with a warmth not so different from that of his firebending, but this warmth elated him and he felt so much lighter.
The interaction between Mai and Zuko did not go unnoticed by Mura, and neither did the happiness that radiated off of her niece. It was really nice to see Mai like this, since her aunt hasn’t seen her this happy in...well, her whole life. After Zuko left, she noticed that her niece was practically glowing and even humming to herself as she busied herself with watering the plants in the window display. Mura, who was admittedly a bit nosy, wanted to pry and ask Mai about Zuko, but decided against it. Mai will open up to her on her own time, she wouldn’t want to make the girl uncomfortable. So, instead she basked in the sight of her niece’s good mood and couldn’t help but smile too.
Mai laughed to herself at a thought she had while pruning the bonsai trees, This all seemed like something straight out of a romantic comedy , Ty Lee would eat this up.
She had to text Ty Lee and ask her to cover her shift tomorrow morning. Her best friend wouldn’t have a problem at all with that, since Saturday mornings aren’t a particularly popular time to get flowers, and she’d be especially cool with it once she knew why. Ty Lee would be a bit upset with Mai if she didn’t tell her every detail right away, but Mai decided to take that chance. She’ll tell her best friend about Zuko when she gets back from their tea shop date.
A date? Huh, who would’ve guessed. Mai let out a small giggle, a very un-Mai-like sound, and continued her work with thoughts of tomorrow.
—————
Zuko successfully got home with flowers and takeout in tow. A rare, large grin graced his face as he unlocked the apartment door. He walked into the kitchen and placed the flowers down on the counter and the food down on the table. He then ran into his room to plug in his dead phone to charge on his nightstand.
Walking back into the kitchen, he yelled out to Iroh, “Hey, Uncle! I’m back with dinner!”.
Iroh entered the kitchen and noticed his nephew’s unusual sunny disposition, “Zuko, you look quite refreshed. Does this happy mood have something to do with why you took so long?”, teasing Zuko, elbowing him in the side.
Zuko groaned dramatically, the only way he knew how, and his face turned bright red. But, even his uncle’s prying couldn’t ruin his mood, “Uncle, why don’t we eat dinner before the food gets cold, then I’ll tell you about my day.”
Iroh sat down at the table, as Zuko grabbed two plates, two pairs of chopsticks, and two teacups. He placed them down on the table, then put on the kettle on the stove to heat up water for tea. Once the water was ready, he steeped his uncle’s signature jasmine tea and poured it into both their cups, then placed the kettle on a potholder on the table.
He sat down and served himself some food. It all smelled so good, and Zuko was really grateful that Mai suggested this restaurant. Maybe, he would take her there one day on a date, if tomorrow works out.
Iroh’s booming voice snapped Zuko out of his reverie, “So, nephew, I do believe you have a story for me?”, he teased as a large grin spread across his face.
Zuko bit into a spicy pork dumpling and chewed thoughtfully before answering his uncle, deciding on telling him the jist of everything, “Yeah, I did, uhhh- I mean, I do have a story.”
His uncle raised his teacup to his face and breathed in deeply before taking a sip, “Go on, I would like to hear it. Also, your tea-making has vastly improved nephew, I am quite proud.”
Zuko shook his head a bit at his uncle’s tea obsession, “Thanks uncle, and yeah so I was in the station waiting for the train. I was so tired that when the train did arrive, I didn’t realize I sat down next to one of the only passengers onboard before it was too late. The girl was nice about it, or at least she didn’t curse me out or anything, but then I ended up falling asleep on her shoulder…”
Iroh laughed out loud, nearly spitting his tea out all over Zuko. He proceeded to apologize and nodded to his nephew, encouraging him to continue the story.
Zuko took a sip of his tea, then cleared his throat, continuing, “Right, so I passed out on this poor girl, and right before we reached the Caldera Street Station, she woke me up since that was her stop. Thank Agni she did, because who knows where I would’ve ended up if she didn’t. Then I realized my phone was dead, so I had to ask her for directions to the flower shop. But, get this Uncle! She works there, and her aunt owns the shop! What a coincidence, isn’t that funny? So anyways, her aunt suggested we go to a coffee shop nearby so I can get some caffeine, and we ended up having a really nice time. I really like her, Uncle. Her name is Mai, and she is so cool and pretty and interesting. Oh! And she’s coming to the tea shop tomorrow, I asked her to, and she said yes.”
Iroh put his chopsticks down and smiled at his nephew, “Wow, Zuko, sounds like you had quite the day. It is so nice to see you happy like this, nice enough for me to forgive you for drinking that poison you call coffee.”
The two enjoyed the rest of dinner with Iroh recounting stories of the going-ons at the tea shop that Zuko missed during his little excursion. Zuko was distracted though, Iroh’s soothing voice fading into the background, while he thought about his day and his anticipation for tomorrow.
“Well, nephew…”, Iroh grinned, patting Zuko hard on the back, “It is good we have fresh flowers for the shop. The Jasmine Dragon will look extra nice for your lovely lady friend.”
“Uncle!”, Zuko whined, “Please, I am literally begging you, do not embarrass me tomorrow.
Iroh put on a serious face and nodded firmly, “Of course, dear Zuko, I would not dream of doing such a thing.”
His nephew signed in relief, “Thanks Uncle, sorry I’m just nervous that--”
Iroh cut him off, “You do not have to worry about me, I am just glad to see you happy. You deserve it.”
He pulled Zuko into a strong, comforting hug, “Now, nephew, why don’t I give you some advice in regards to women?”, he asked with an obvious suggestive tone.
“NO!”, Zuko yelled, pulling away from the embrace, “No, thank you. I do not want that now or ever. I’m going to go get ready for bed.”
“Okay, if you change your mind--”, Iroh teased.
“I won’t, I promise.”, Zuko said with a vibrant, embarrassed flush, “Goodnight, Uncle.”
“I understand…”, Iroh replied with his hands up in a surrendering gesture, “Goodnight, Zuko. I will see you bright and early tomorrow! Maybe you should let me do your hair, so you’ll look especially handsome for your date.”
Thinking back to the last time Zuko let Iroh do his hair, cringing with the memories of how stiff his hair was from all the gel, “That’s okay, Uncle, I’ll figure something out. Thanks for the offer though… I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Zuko walked into his room and shut the door. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the napkin that Mai had handed him and admired the way she wrote her name with a small black heart next to it. He entered her number into his contacts and stared at it for a while, deciding that he would text her later that night.
He then walked into his bathroom and took a shower, the hot water soothing his tired muscles. When he was done, he pulled on his sweatpants and ran a comb through his hair. Looking at his reflection as he brushed his teeth, he reflected on his day. He hasn’t felt this good in a long time. Probably not since he made his first friends at school last year. Spitting toothpaste out in the sink and rinsing his mouth, he looked back in the mirror one last time and thought about tomorrow.
I should probably pick out an outfit now, I want to look good for Mai tomorrow. She looked so cool today, I bet she dresses like that everyday.
He walked over to his closet and rummaged through his clothes. He thought he had a good sense of style, or at least he finally had clothes that he felt both comfortable and like himself in. Zuko chose his favorite black leather jacket, a red short sleeve button-up shirt, and a pair of black jeans that Aang painted flames onto. He looked through his shoes, and decided on his Doc Martens, inspired by the scary-looking boots Mai had on. The finishing touch was his Fire Nation Insignia belt, which has become his signature accessory. Satisfied with his choice, he laid the outfit out on his desk chair, and turned off his lights.
Zuko climbed into bed and nestled himself deep in the red blanket and pillows. His room was serene, dark except faint light from the streetlamps outside peaking through his blinds and the only sounds emanating from the nightlife of the city. Before getting too sleepy, he grabbed his phone from his nightstand and decided to text Mai.
Zuko: hey, it’s zuko. i finally charged my phone & made it back without falling asleep on another stranger lol
Mai: haha, thank agni. here i was thinking that was a hobby of yours.
Zuko: you’re funny lmao, so for tomorrow, how’s 10:30am? the shop is called the jasmine dragon, it’s midtown
Mai: thanks lol, and yeah that’s cool. i’ll see you then. x
Zuko: awesome, see you then :)
Mai: goodnight zuko <3
Zuko: <3 goodnight mai :)
Zuko practically vibrated with excitement for tomorrow morning, but soon enough that excitement lost the battle against his heavy exhaustion. He fell into a deep sleep and dreamt pleasant dreams of the goth girl on the train.