Writer's Note: Welcome to the second sappy collection of romance within ATLA! Be warned that I do tend to favour the canon couples, although you may see a few random pairings here and there. I never thought I would start another collection, but here it is! Enjoy!
Warning: Occurs post-series and contains mild spoilers.
Mai was bored. So was Zuko.
The problem was, they really both should not have had this problem. The entire reception hall was full of people from all three of the nations (four, if you included Aang), and the air was full of the angry buzzing of politicians and nobles alike. None of them could agree on a single thing, and it was getting very old very fast.
Despite the fact that Zuko didn't follow his predecessors' examples and keep the flames of his throne high, he was still being ignored. After his latest attempt to silence the room, he sighed, leaned back, and shut his eyes, his fingers going to the bridge of his nose. He wondered bitterly if he would eventually have a callous there from the many times he did this.
Quite suddenly, something sharp bit into his side. He jumped, swallowing a surprised yelp, his eyes snapping open. A small little sting of pain followed, but he could tell that it wasn't anything like a knife or a needle. When he looked to the side where he felt it, his eyes fell on Mai's, and her face was facing forward, looking perfectly innocent, her hands folded in her lap. Blinking in bemusement, he scratched at his head and turned back, trying to form a better way to say, 'Please shut up now,' to the people in front of him.
He took in a breath once he decided to send all protocol to the wind, when he felt that sharp biting in his side again, a little higher than before. He jerked away and turned to look again, only seeing Mai at his side, her posture perfect and precise. With narrowed eyes, he examined her closely, and it was then that he finally saw it: a slight twitch in her lips.
He leaned in close to her again, a small smile forming. When he had relaxed, he sensed, rather than felt, her move again, and this time he beat her to it - his fingers danced to her thigh and pinched lightly. Mai's eyes flared, their colour sparking with a curious mix of amusement and annoyance, and she narrowed them and met his gaze, her look a clear threat. He merely grinned.
The buzz slowly faded into the background. Now all that mattered was the little competition set between the two of them. It kept them both sane.