Gotta Do
By: White Rain
Pairing: Mai/Zuko
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar.
Summary: Zuko attempts to woo Mai, and is very Zuko about it. Mai isn't exactly impressed, but having boys that are too clever isn't as much fun.
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Zuko knew what he had to do.
He wasn't particularly worried, though. He spent countless long hours practicing (although he'd deny it and insist he was a natural talent) just to prove that he could do it. And well, while he wasn't really into dating, with his journey and all, he sort-of almost liked kissing Jin.
He did think this ritual was weird. But, then again, girls were just weird in general.
So he got the tools he would need, hiding them in the sleeve of his shirt and walked into the throne room, where Ty Lee had said Mai was about fifteen minutes ago. She was alone, Ty Lee had said, in a sing-song voice.
Zuko wasn't dense, he knew what Ty Lee was implying. (Again, he'd deny that Azula teasing him about Mai had anything to do with him figuring it out; it was just Azula poking at something they both were very, very aware of.)
When he strode into the room, Mai was draped over the throne where Azula normally sat, filing her nails. Mai's eyes narrowed slightly, and Zuko noted the faintest hint of a blush on her cheeks.
Good, he had her on the palm of her hands.
Zuko took a deep breath to prepare himself, and slowly took out three red balls from where he'd hidden them in his sleeve.
"Zuko?" Mai said, halting filing her nails.
"Just watch," Zuko said, and pushed away the thoughts that maybe this was a big joke, and Mai was a spy for Azula and Ty Lee for some reason.
Mai heisted only for a moment before setting her nail file on the armrest of the throne and nodding her head slightly.
Zuko then did what any other man did to woo a girl he liked. Well, sort of. Zuko wasn't sure if he liked her that way yet, but she liked him and understood Zuko's goals and was pretty and didn't know of coupons and that was a good enough place to start. Continue, really, but he wasn't sure if he should count Jin.
He juggled.
Mai watched for several moments as Zuko expertly willed the three red balls into a flawless rendition of the mating ritual he'd spent more time than was probably worth (he still wasn't sure what the big deal about sex was), her face twisted up into a confused expression.
Maybe he go the wrong colors? Jin was probably just being nice, and found him amusing.
"Is this some sort of joke?" Mai asked, her voice oddly high, as if he was trying not to laugh.
All girls were the same.
Zuko stopped juggling and said with more emotion than he intended, "Isn't this what you wanted?"
"I have Ty Lee if I want to watch a circus act," Mai said dryly.
It was a trick, Mai didn't have a crush on him. She was into girls, playing the other team. Zuko would kill Azula for this.
"You could have said something," Zuko said. And he didn't pout.
"What exactly are you trying to gain from this?" Mai said.
"I'm courting you," Zuko said as if he was talking to a young, confused child.
"Clearly," Mai remarked.
Zuko nodded, satisfied that she'd gotten the message. Maybe she's forgotten or something.
Mai gave him a long, studying look. She then picked up her nail file and said sharply, "Get me some grapes and then maybe I'll consider."
"What?" Zuko sputtered.
Mai tilted her head up and gave him a look that reminded him way too much of his mother. Frowning, Zuko turned around sharply, bitting down his mutters of stupid girls. He wasn't going to giver her that satisfaction.
"And some of that wine too, while you're at it," Mai added, just as Zuko was about to step out of the throne room.
"You want me to call you master too?" Zuko couldn't help but say.
"Sir will work," Mai said.
Zuko wasn't sure if she was being sarcastic, and wondered, as he got her grapes, if he should test that.