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Mai had to admit, being in Ba Sing Se wasn't as unbearable as she had feared. Compared to Omashu (she privately thought New Ozai was a stupid name, not that she would tell Azula that) it was definitely an improvement. At the very least, the palace was big enough to explore. It staved off the boredom, at least somewhat.
The big downside of the situation was the Kyoshi Warrior getup. Mai genuinely felt sorry for the girls they had defeated, having to wear this all the time. Not only was it ugly, the outfit was also cumbersome and heavy. She missed her normal clothes, though she had managed to hide her blades under these sleeves just as well. If it came down to it, she wasn't going to fight with fans.
While wandering through the (frankly ridiculously) huge palace, Mai had stumbled upon a library. High, golden shelves filled to the brim with thick, important looking books. Curiosity piqued, she wandered inside, trailing her finger over the spines of the books she passed. Maybe this was a good place to spend a bit of time until Azula needed them. The princess was busy bullying the Dai Li or something. Mai hadn't paid attention to the details. She just hoped she would be done soon.
But it didn't take long for her to realize these books were all incredibly boring. Every one she grabbed off the shelves was just filled with lists and family trees of Earth Kingdom noble families and their lineage, not dissimilar to books she had been forced to study in the Fire Nation growing up. It didn't matter how bored she was, she was not going to read these.
Mai turned to the door and stopped in her tracks, realizing she was being observed. Azula must be done with her business with the Dai Li, because she was here. Leaning against the doorframe, she was watching Mai quietly, a small smile on her lips.
"You could have announced yourself."
"Why? It's much more fun to watch you scowling at books."
Mai rolled her eyes. "I was just trying to see if there was anything interesting here, but there isn't."
"Isn't there?" Azula pushed off the door and stepped into the room. "I'm here now."
Mai smiled a little, stepping toward Azula. "Fine, there wasn't anything interesting here."
They moved closer slowly, stopping when they stood a little closer than would be entirely usual for two friends.
Reaching up, Azula adjusted Mai's headpiece. "I know you hate the clothes, but you do wear them well," she said quietly, her hand lingering just a moment too long.
Mai huffed out a soft laugh. "Is that why I have to keep wearing it while you get a whole new outfit?" She murmured. "The makeup alone is a pain."
Azula grinned slightly as she leaned closer. "On the upside, it's surprisingly difficult to smudge," she breathed.
"Ty Lee?" Mai asked, gaze darting to the door. They had both quietly decided not to tell her about… whatever was happening between them. Probably because that would require putting into words what was happening between them, and neither of them seemed ready for that.
Azula's hand cupped her cheek, forcing her attention back to her. "Sent her on an errand. She'll be busy for a while." She closed the remaining bit of distance, pressing her lips against Mai's.
The kiss started off cautiously, just like the last few times. A brief moment of caution, like they were both worried the other would change her mind.
Azula's thumb stroked Mai's jaw as she deepened the kiss, her movements growing more certain as Mai melted into her touch with a sigh.
Mai's hand moved to Azula's waist, gripping the fabric of her new dress as she blindly took a step back. Her back collided with one of the bookshelves as she pulled Azula closer, a soft groan escaping her. Her free hand ran up the princess' back, fingers stroking the hair at the nape of her neck as they kissed. She longed to pull the topknot out and run her hands through her hair, but knew better than to do so now.
Azula pushed forward slightly, pressing Mai into the bookshelf. She shivered at the sensation of Azula's warm body against her own, hoping with a fleeting thought that the Earth King had invested in sturdy shelves. Azula smelled like fire lilies and something darker, even here in the absolute center of the Earth Kingdom, the scent was pure Fire Nation.
They broke the kiss at the same time, panting against each other's mouths. Mai's eyes flutter open and meet Azula's sharp gaze, taking her in like she wants to memorize every second of this. It makes something grow warm in her chest.
A high pitched, bubbly voice rang through the corridors outside. "Azuuuula? Where are you?"
Both of them froze, their eyes widening a fraction. Then, they moved as one, breaking apart and smoothing down their clothes urgently. Mai prayed the makeup really was as smudge proof as Azula had joked.
When Ty Lee burst into the room, Mai was relieved to see they do a passable job at acting normal. She had grabbed a book off the shelf, pretending to leaf through it. Azula was staring out of the window, frowning like she's seeing something she dislikes.
Then Mai realized she was holding the book upside down. She quickly put it back on the shelf.
Ty Lee thankfully seemed oblivious. "There you guys are, I was looking all over for you," she complained, adjusting her braid before skipping up to Azula. "You know those scrolls you were looking for? Turns out one of the Dai Li agents knew exactly where they were and he even got them for me when I asked. They sure are useful, I can see why you keep them around."
Azula turned away from the window, a strained smile on he face. Mai noticed her hair was just the slightest bit out of place. A part of her worried Ty Lee would notice, but she also couldn't deny feeling some satisfaction at the sight of Azula even slightly ruffled.
The princess cleared her throat. "I see. Good job, Ty Lee. Very effective."
Ty Lee smiled brightly. "So… do you have anything else you want me to do? Because I wanna see if I can teach the Earth King's bear any tricks like they did in the circus. Can I?"
Taken aback, Azula blinked. "I— I don't see why not."
"Great! Thanks Azula!" Ty Lee whirled around, returning to the door in three light steps. Before leaving, she turned around with a knowing smile that made Mai's heart sink. "Oh, and by the way. Next time you guys wanna make out somewhere private, you can just tell me. I'll stay out of your hair." Ty Lee winked, then cartwheeled into the corridor before either of them could respond.
Mai slowly turned to look at Azula, who was staring at the door in disbelief.
"So much for keeping it a secret." Mai drawled after a moment.
They looked at each other, and when their eyes locked, neither of them could stop themselves from laughing.