"Late to the Party"
Maiko Week 2010
Prompt: Alternate Universe
"I don't believe this." Mai muttered, her head in her hands. "I will never hear the end of this from my mother."
"It's going to be okay, just relax."
Zuko placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to comfort her. They sat next to each other in the back of a taxi, on their way to a very ritzy sushi restaurant.
Mai wore a black cocktail dress with a ruffled skirt that stopped mid thigh and a halter-style collar that showed off her porcelain back. Along the collar and the hem of the skirt was a thick stripe of hot pink; the ones the collar formed a "V" over her chest. She also wore a pair of strappy high heel shoes with rhinestones, and her hair was pulled up into three buns: two small ones on each side of her head, ondango style, and a larger one settled at the nape of her neck. The dress had been a compromised between herself and her mother, who had wanted Mai to wear a garish pink dress with lace and frills. Mai had just wanted to wear dress pants and a nice top.
Zuko wore a charcoal suit, black shirt, and red tie. Mai had slicked his hair back with some gel, so that he wouldn't look so much like a jobless hippie. Not that Zuko wasn't working; his job at the newspaper paid the bills while he and Aang waited for responses from publishers about their book. It's just that Zuko's long, shaggy hair was the exact thing that Mai's father would pick up on, and insist that the young man was a wayward youth with no hope for the future.
"I'm trying to, okay?" Mai said, sounding annoyed. Zuko pulled back his hands, and rested them on his knees. "If we had our own car, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Mai leaned forward. "Could you go a little faster?"
"I wanted to take the motorcycle!" Zuko said as the driver did as Mai asked of him. "But you would have been a popsicle by the time we got to the restaurant!"
"Zuko, I told you I wanted to wear dress pants and a blouse, but this outfit is a compromise between me and my mother."
"I have a feeling that you're going to be compromising with her on a lot of other things."
"That's the price I'm going to have to pay for being stuck with you." Mai said with a smirk, as she rested her left hand on his right hand.
Zuko looked down at it, studying the slender, tapered fingers, and the elegant diamond ring that sat on her ring finger. He turned his hand over underneath hers, so that his palm faced up. He then wrapped his masculine fingers around hers, and squeezed them gently. She squeezed back, then leaned in to give him a kiss.
She pulled away from him the next moment to look into his gorgeous amber eyes.
"Damnit!" Mai exclaimed.
Before Zuko could ask what was wrong, Mai opened up her black clutch and pulled out a tissue. She handed it to Zuko.
"I got lipstick all over you." Mai explained as she pulled out her compact mirror and lipstick. "This is why I never wear makeup. It's way too much of a hassle."
Zuko wiped his lips off with the tissue. His mind drifted off to the conversation that he and Mai had three weeks ago, the subject of which was the very reason he and Mai were sitting in the back of that taxi, on their way to a dinner with their friends, Zuko's uncle, and Mai's family.
"Hey, Mai-Mai," Zuko said happily as he walked in the front door, daring to use the awful pet name that his girlfriend despised so much. He was in too good of a mood to not tease, however. It was Friday, he had just gotten his paycheck from working at the newspaper, and he had a long weekend with Mai ahead of him.
He walked past the entranceway to the living room to kitchen, catching a quick glimpse of Mai sitting on the couch. She wore black yoga pants and a white sports bra, showing off her slender, but toned, figure. Her long black hair cascaded around her shoulders and over her back, free and loose. He waved to her and she waved back.
He thought it very odd that she was sitting up on the couch, looking so alert and lady like.
He entered the kitchen, tossed his messenger bag on the table, and opened up the fridge. He wore slacks and shirt, the regular get up one wore to an office.
"Hey, Mai, you want a beer?" he called to her.
"No, thanks." she responded. "You're coming back, right?"
"Of course!" Zuko said, shutting the door and grabbing the bottle opener out of a drawer.
Zuko went back to the living room, and sat down on the couch. He took a sip of his beer.
"You have a good day at work?" Zuko asked. Mai worked at a dance studio with Ty Lee, Katara, and Suki. They closed early on Fridays, meaning that Mai got home several hours before Zuko did.
"It was great." Mai said.
"Mine was good, too." Zuko said honestly. Besides getting paid, nothing else eventful had happened that day.
There was silence for several moments. Zuko made himself comfortable on the couch, not really picking up on the nervous vibes that Mai was setting off.
"So…" Mai began, a slight hesitation in her voice that was so unlike her. Finally, she blurted out, "My mother wants to throw us an engagement party."
Zuko nearly spat out the swig of beer that he was in the middle of swallowing. He managed to force it down and coughed several times before saying, "You actually talked to your mother today?"
"She called this afternoon." Mai began. "She was at the spa, and none of her friends could go with her. She wanted someone to talk to."
Another awkward silence filled the room.
"And…?" Zuko asked.
"Well, we managed to stay civil towards each other."
"That's…good. But…how is it that she wants to throw us an engagement party? I mean, we've never…I mean I've never…"
Mai sighed despondently, then said, "Zuko, I lied."
"About what?"
"About us. To my mother." Mai quickly began to explain. She leaned forward, her elbows resting on her thighs and her head hanging down dejectedly. "I lied and told her that we were engaged."
Zuko stared off into empty space, and blinked a few times in a confused manner. It had taken him a while to figure it out, but Zuko knew that Mai was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. However, there had always been just a sliver of doubt within his heart. He didn't doubt his love for Mai; that was one of the few things in his tumultuous life that he could actually count on. He doubted whether or not Mai felt the same way towards him. Sure, they were living together, and they were happy together, but was he her samurai in shining armor? Or was he just an extended booty call, an opportunity for her to get back at her parents? It was impossible for him to tell, since every time he tried to bring up a discussion about the future, Mai either shut him out with one of her moods or distracted him (usually with something sexy).
He managed to force himself to look at her, just barely keeping his shock at the situation in check.
"Uh…why did you tell her that we're engaged?" Zuko managed to say without sounding too much like a dork.
"Well, she said that my father still doesn't approve of me being with you. But she said that she isn't angry with me anymore. She said that she's willing to accept you…as a son-in-law."
Zuko was still confused, so he remained silent.
"And only as a son-in-law." Mai continued. "She was about to start arguing with me. She said something like, 'if he hasn't proposed to you by now, he never will!' and then she starting insulting you, saying you were a loser. She was getting on my nerves, so finally I said, 'He has proposed to me, Mom.'"
Mai rested her head in her hands, and gave off another deep sigh. This one sounded sad and stressed, unlike the usual bored sighs that she gave off when dealing with people and situations that she didn't like, which was almost every person and situation that she dealt with.
She looked up at Zuko.
"I'm…I'm so sorry to put you in this situation…If this is too weird for you, if you're not ready for us to be engaged, I can call my mother back and tell her the truth…"
Zuko leaned forward and placed his beer on the coffee table. He then fell off the couch, onto his knees. He faced Mai, placing his hands on her arm. Taken aback, Mai sat up straight once more. Zuko took both of her hands in his.
"Marry me?" he asked.
Her eyes widened in surprise at Zuko's proposal. All afternoon she had been agonizing over Zuko's reaction to her awkward news, whether or not he was ready for marriage. Slowly, a gentle smile formed on her lips.
"Of course, Zuko." she said.
Zuko stood up, pulling her up with him. He embraced her, and they kissed passionately.
"There," he whispered to her once their lips broke apart. "You're not a liar anymore."
Mai chuckled.
This wasn't just an engagement party. It was a reunion. Mai had run out on her family to be with Zuko, right after graduating from high school. This party would be the first time Mai would see her father since she had moved in with Zuko. Of course, she had seen her mother a few days ago when they went shopping for her outfit for the dinner party. As for her brother, she kept in touch with him through short, secret phone calls made every couple of weeks, and she went to his birthday parties, at which her father was always absent because of a business trip.
Everything had to be perfect, or else everything could fall apart again for Mai.
The taxi pulled up to the restaurant. They both took a deep breath, and Mai got out of the car. Zuko paid the driver and followed her.
Mai had stopped halfway down the walkway to the restaurant entrance. She peeked over her shoulder to make sure that Zuko was following her.
"Not getting cold feet, are you?" she said with a devious smirk.
"I was paying the driver," Zuko explained as he caught up to her. "I'm surprised you're so calm."
"Well, if I were Ty Lee, I definitely be freaking out right now. How late are we?"
Zuko looked at his watch.
"Thirty minutes."
"It's now or never."
"Do or die."
They approached the entrance at a steady pace. Zuko opened the door for Mai, and she stepped in. He then followed her in, and the door closed behind them.
The restaurant was dimly lit, but decorated beautifully with many masks, fans, and swords from the feudal era of Japan.
They walked up to the receptionist's podium, where a teenage girl stood.
"Hi," Zuko began, "We're late for a dinner party. Reservations are under…wait, is it under your dad's name or your mom's name?"
Before Mai could answer him, a young woman's voice called to them from across the small lobby.
"Zuzu!" the voice called from behind them.
Zuko's blood turned to ice. Had Mai not been the stoic soul that she was, she would have jumped.
They both turned around to see Azula standing there, a devilish gleam in her eyes and a wicked smile on her lips. She wore a red, form-fitting, mandarin style dress and tall black stilettos that any airport security would have easily classified as a weapon.
"Azula!" Zuko exclaimed. "What are you doing here!"
"Why, I'm here for your engagement party, of course!" Azula said with a wave of her hands. "It's about time you finally worked up the guts to ask her, Zuko. Frankly, Mai, I think you could do better, but since you're marrying into our family, I guess it sort of balances out. Anyway, come! Everyone's waiting for you!"
Azula motioned for them to follow her, and reluctantly they did so. They walked past several tables of diners and waiters moving about briskly, serving the customers. With each passing step, they felt like they were walking into some diabolical trap.
"Why didn't you tell me that your mother invited my sister?" Zuko whispered Mai.
"I had no idea, honest." Mai replied. "My mother didn't say anything."
Zuko gulped.
"If Azula's here, then that means…"
"Your father's here, too." Mai finished for him.
"I need a paper bag."
"Oh, suck it up!"
Soon, they reached the back of the restaurant.
Azula walked into a private party room, big enough for about twenty people. From where they stood, Zuko and Mai saw that a long table had been set up, and several of their friends sat at it. Zuko also spotted his uncle, as well as Mai's. Knowing that they were their calmed him immediately, though he was still nervous about the confrontation about to take place.
"They're finally here!" Azula announced to the room. Everyone became silent as the couple walked in.
"To the happy couple!" Sokka yelled out, raising his drink in a toast.
Everyone raised their glass and almost everyone cheered at Sokka's proposition. Even Ozai, who sat at the end of the table furthest from the entrance, the position of power, raised his glass to idea of his son's happiness. He maintained a calm, quiet demeanor, and a cruel smile.
"Mai!" Tom-Tom yelled out. The twelve year old boy leaped up from his seat and squeezed past Azula to give his beloved big sister a big hug, much to his mother's consternation. Mai's was surprised when Tom-Tom threw his arms around her waist, but she returned the gesture with a hug of her own.
"Come on, Mai," the black-haired boy said, taking her hand. "I saved you a seat next to me."
Azula took her place at Ozai's left. Tom-Tom sat on the other side of her, so two empty seats had been left for Mai and Zuko.
Across from Azula and Tom-Tom sat Mai's parents, Daitaro and Haruka. The two fathers of the blessed couple had been discussing business matters. The suits that they wore were expensive designers that made Zuko and his friends look underdressed for the occasion.
"I'm so glad you decided to join us, Mai," Haruka said, looking matronly in her long sleeved, fuchsia designer gown. "For a few minutes I thought that maybe you and Zuko had just decided to go ahead and elope. You know that would have broken your father's heart, not getting to walk his little girl down the aisle."
"The taxi picked us up late, and there was traffic," Mai calmly explained with a straight face. For the sake of Zuko, and their friends, she wasn't going to let her mother ruin the evening, even though it all had been Haruka's idea to have the party.
"It was partially my fault," Zuko interjected. "I couldn't find the right tie, so Mai had to help me…then she had to tie it for me."
"All these years and you still don't know how to tie a tie, Zuzu?" Azula asked as she took a sip from her cocktail. "Honestly, you are the epitome of all males being lost without the fairer sex."
Zuko almost said something about how Ozai should have been the one to teach him, but was always to busy taking care of the family business. He decided against it, remembering Iroh's advice to hold one's tongue when angry, especially when there were potential witnesses to the argument.
Beside Haruka sat her brother, Kuro, Mai's uncle, and next to him sat Iroh. Both wore nice dress shirts, slacks, and shoes, and their jackets hung off the back of their chairs. Even though there was a twenty year age difference between the two men, they had become fast friends in discussing matters concerning their niece and nephew. "Mai, I haven't seen you since your graduation." Kuro said with a smile. "You've grown up to be such a lovely young lady. You remind me so much our grandmother." Kuro put his arm around his sister's shoulders in a loving embrace.
"Thank you, uncle." Mai said with her subtle smile. "How's your private security business doing?"
"It's growing quite nicely, thank you for asking. I was just discussing an issue with a troublesome employee with Iroh before you two walked in." Kuro replied. "I have to say, Zuko, the advice your uncle gives is unbelievable. I mean, it's so simple that you feel like an idiot for not thinking of it in the first place, but it's so deep that you realize that you needed that extra perspective."
"Yeah, he does that." Zuko said, grinning.
"It comes from many years of experience." Iroh replied.
Aang, who sat on Zuko's other side, leaned over.
"When I saw that you're dad and sister were here, I figured you and Mai had fled the country." he whispered. He wore a black vest over a white, short sleeved dress shirt, black slacks and brown dress shoes, and a black fedora with a sky blue band around the brim to cover his bald head.
"I am not a coward." Zuko fumed, whispering back.
"I never said you were a coward." Aang replied. "You're a lot braver than me. To be honest I would have fled to country if Ozai were my dad."
"Maybe I'm more foolish than you." Zuko said sardonically.
"I'm guessing you didn't know?" Katara said with a sly smile, joining in the conversation. She wore a top made of sheer turquoise material, printed with black paisley, and her long brown hair had been tied back into a French braid.
"I had no clue they'd be here." Zuko said. His expression turned to one of annoyance. "Had I known, I never would have come. I thought it was just going to be you guys and Mai's family."
"I didn't know Ozai and Azula were invited either." Mai said. She then whispered into Zuko's ear. "Honestly, I wouldn't have come either, what with what happened with your sister…"
Zuko held up his hand, indicating that Mai didn't need to continue. "Well, you're here now," Sokka said rather loudly, jumping in on the conversation. He sat next to Iroh, across from Aang. He wore a nice blue shirt, one that he usually wore to his job of teaching junior high science. He was also the gym teacher, basketball coach, and soccer coach, but he didn't usually wear a shirt when he was doing those jobs.
"Yeah, you might as well just try to enjoy the night." Suki tacked on. She sat beside Sokka, across from Katara. She wore a beautiful hunter green dress with yellow daisies printed along the neck line and the hem of the sleeves.
"I'll try to." Zuko said despondently.
"So, Sparky, that's your dad?" Toph said to Zuko, leaning over the table to get a better look at the man at the other end of the table. She pushed her thick, black, horn rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose with her pointer finger. She was legally blind without them, although she usually took them off to try to make certain tasks more "challenging."
"Damn." Toph continued as she observed the conversation going on between Ozai and Daitaro. "I can see where you get your good looks from. But to be honest, I'd demand a paternity test if this reunion was taking place on one of those trashy day-time TV talk shows. It's like you were raised by a whole different person."
"I'm pretty sure I was." Zuko said with a bitter smile.
Toph sat next to Katara, at the end of the table. Across from her was Ty Lee, who sat next to Suki. Ty Lee was fiddling around in her purse for something. Both girls seemed a tad bit underdressed for the occasion. Toph wore jeans and a kelly green t-shirt with the words "ROCK LIKE" printed in neon yellow across the chest. She had pulled back her long, black hair with a yellow headband. Ty Lee wore a pink tube top, black mini-skirt, large hoop earrings, and a silver chain with a heart-shaped medallion hanging around her neck. While Toph's outfit was more suited for a day of hiking or maybe yard work, Ty Lee's was more suited for a night out clubbing with girlfriends. At least they sat at the other end of the table.
"Picture time!" Ty Lee shouted triumphantly across the room as she jumped out of her chair, halting all of the conversations. High above her head she held a digital camera. She turned it on and began to take snap shots of people without warning them.
Ozai and Daituro seemed the most annoyed by this, but Haruka was giddy.
"Thank you so much, Ty Lee!" the older woman exclaimed as Ty Lee snapped a picture of the mother and father of the future bride. "I've always wondered how you and Mai ended up as friends. If my daughter can't get excited about wedding dress shopping, at least I'll be able to count on you!"
Ty Lee paused for a moment and placed her free hand on Azula's shoulder. Azula appeared apprehensive about the sudden sign of affection from Ty Lee, but no one other than Tom-Tom seemed to notice it.
"You have Azula to thank, Haruka. Honestly, I never would have given Mai a second thought way back in high school if it weren't for Azula getting us together for the student senate!"
Ty Lee went back to snapping pictures. After a few awkward "candids," most of the guests were actually able to smile and pose for Ty Lee's pictures.
As conversations went on, three waiters entered with the food and began to serve it to the guests.
"Oh, Mai, dear," Haruka began to explain, "we weren't expecting you for another hour, so we went ahead and ordered."
"That's fine, mom," Mai said, sounding like her usual unenthusiastic self.
"Wait a minute," Zuko said to himself. He leaned over to Mai and whispered, "I thought you didn't like sushi."
"I don't." Mai whispered back. "But, once again, I had to make my mother happy."
"It's okay, Mai! I ordered you some tempura! I ordered some too, 'cause I don't like raw fish, either!" Tom-Tom announced to the entire table as the waiter put plates in front the young boy and his sister.
Haruka and Daituro gave their son a stern look, from which Tom-Tom shrank back from. Noticing this, Mai quickly put her arm around Tom-Tom's shoulders.
"Thanks, Tom-Tom!" she said with a smirk. "You're always looking out for me."
The boy smiled, and quickly took a large bite out of his food. Haruka and Daituro decided to ignore the incident rather than cause more drama than needed.
Once everyone was served, Ty Lee grabbed one of waiters and forced him to take pictures of the entire party sitting down to dinner. After several shots from several different angles, he returned the camera to Ty Lee.
"Thank you, so much!" Ty Lee gushed, pecking him on the cheek.
The waiter blushed, then stammered a bit, attempting to say 'your welcome.' Finally, he gave up and walked out of the room before he made an idiot of himself.
And so, the night went on. Everyone enjoyed themselves and the company that that they were in, even Ozai and Azula. More courses were brought and refills on cock tails were ordered.
Tom-Tom excused himself to the bathroom mid-meal, leaving an empty seat between Mai and Azula. Ozai, Daituro, and, surprisingly, Haruka, were discussing the recent fluctuation in stocks. Meanwhile, a debate about sports teams was going on amongst Kuro, Iroh, Zuko, and Aang. Mai never cared for nor concerned herself with sports or any teams, even the ones that Zuko liked, so she wasn't very interested in listening in.
"I'm happy for you, Mai." Azula said.
Mai turned her attention to her old friend. She gave her a sad smile.
"I thought you said that I could do better."
"I was joking," Azula said with a chuckle, staring forlornly into her drink. "But don't you dare tell my brother I said that."
"Azula, I'm sorry…"
"No need to apologize, Mai." Azula interrupted. "High school was years ago. We've all moved on with our lives."
The two young women stared at each other in silence for a few moments.
"I guess you're right." Mai said.
"We'll be family soon. It's time to start looking towards the future." Azula said as she gave her old friend a genuine smile.
"So…are we friends, again?"
"I'm not sure…" Azula began slowly. "Am I going to have to put on one of those tacky bridesmaid dressess?"
"Probably."
"Then that's my answer to your question."
They laughed.
"Ty Lee isn't the only one who can get excited about dresses."
Tom-Tom returned from the bathroom. He was happy to see his sister laughing and enjoying herself, thinking that it was probably because the party was about her, not about him. He was completely oblivious to the drama that had taken place between the two young women nearly seven years ago.
Finally, dessert came along, and with it, coffee. Everyone had become much more relaxed, and people began to shift around the table. Haruka dragged Mai down to the other end of the table, followed by Azula, to where the extra empty seats were. The mother of the bride wanted to start discussing plans for the wedding.
"So, how many bridesmaids will there be? Two?" Haruka asked Mai without even looking at Toph, Suki, or Katara. "I was thinking if it's just going to be Ty Lee and Azula, we'd go to Wang to design your gown and the bridesmaid dresses."
"Actually, Mom, I wanted five." Mai asserted herself, motioning to her female friends which her mother had been ignoring. "I was thinking we'd go with something…simpler."
Haruka gave Mai a surprised look, as if her daughter had been replaced with a pod person.
"Mai, please tell me you've got a fifth secret 'girlfriend' that you've never told me about." Toph interjected, before Haruka could say anything. "'Cause there is no way I'm wearing a dress!"
Neither Toph nor Mai had ever liked the term 'girlfriend,' especially when it came to grown women referring to their female friends.
"Well, I guess you could wear a tux!" Mai said with a laugh, picturing the photo of the wedding party in her head.
"No way! Toph! You have to wear a dress!" Ty Lee said, thinking that Mai was serious. "Or you'll clash with everyone else!"
"Well, I'm outta here!" Toph declared as she stood up from her seat. She grabbed her drink and dessert and made for Mai's empty seat at the other end of the table.
Now Katara, Suki, Azula, and even Mai were laughing at Toph's adamant attitude against all things girly, but the point of the joke seemed to have gone over Ty Lee's and Haruka's heads. Haruka continued the discussion of dresses and flowers and wedding venues, reluctantly including her daughter's new friends into the circle.
As Haruka went on and on about the wedding, Mai watched Toph settle down next to Zuko.
"Hey, guys!" Toph interrupted. "Let's have an arm wrestling tournament! Winner takes the check! Sparky!" Toph pointed to Zuko. "You and me will go first! Winner then takes on your dad!"
Ozai and Daituro looked at the girl with disdain, but Toph didn't know or care. Zuko looked at her nervously, as if she were carrying a vial full of nitro glycerin.
All the other gentlemen at the table just looked at her with amusement.
"That's a great idea, Toph!" Sokka said, rolling up his shirt sleeve to prep for his first match.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Toph said, slapping Zuko on his back. "But seriously, I could so take you all, and the check!"
"Aw." Sokka muttered in disappointment at the fact that there would be no arm wrestling.
"That's an awfully kind gesture of you, young lady." Daituro said with a fake smile, in an attempt to be polite. "But my wife invited you and your friends here, so I'll be picking up the check. Besides, what do you do for a living that could allow you to afford this?"
Daituro gave Toph's choice in clothing a condescending stare. Toph ignored it.
"I own a indoor rock-climbing arena. It's pretty popular with the local kids. You know, it keeps them off the streets and away from those fattening video games. I opened it up with the trust fund money I got when I graduated from high school. Oh, here."
Toph reached into her pocket and pulled out some business cards. She handed them out to Ozai, Daituro, Kuro. It was printed with the name of the arena, Rock Like, and the address at which it could be found.
"Come by any time, gents. First lesson's free with that card. You look like you could use some time away from the office, especially you, Sparky Senior."
Ozai snorted in amusement at Toph's nickname for him, and quietly pocketed the business card. Daituro, on the other hand, looked over the card.
"You opened up this business with a trust fund?" he asked.
"Yeah." Toph replied. "My parents wanted me to spend it on education. Boring!"
"And who are your parents?"
"The Bei Fongs." Toph said nonchalantly, taking a sip of her coffee.
"The Bei Fongs?" Daituro repeated, sounding surprised.
"Yeah. Ya heard of them?"
"I believe I may have met your father during my last business trip…is his name Fai? Or perhaps he's your uncle or cousin. He never mentioned having a daughter." Daituro explained.
"Nope. That's my dad who you met. Doesn't surprise me that he didn't mention me." Toph said, a trace of anger in her voice.
Surprisingly, Toph joined in on the conversation about business with the fathers of the future bride and groom.
It was almost eleven at night when the guests finished up their coffee and conversations. Daituro took care of the check, as planned, but Toph left a generous tip for the waiters. Ty Lee ended up leaving her number for the waiter that had taken the pictures earlier.
Outside the front of the restaurant, good-byes were being said.
"Well, we're taking off, Zuko," Katara said, giving him a hug.
"Katara and I came with Sokka and Suki, so we'll all be leaving." Aang said to Zuko.
"I'm really looking forward to shopping for those dresses, Mai." Suki said to Mai as she and Katara said their goodbyes.
"Huh. You've never shopped with my mother. Once you have, you'll never want to go again." Mai said.
The girls laughed.
Mai's and Zuko's "new" friends took off, with Toph getting a ride home in Sokka's car, which the others had arrived in.
"More pictures!" Ty Lee announced. "I want family portraits!"
"Oh, that's a wonderful idea, Ty Lee!" Haruka said, while everyone else, except Iroh and Tom-Tom, rolled their eyes.
Zuko's family was first. Ty Lee placed Azula to Zuko's left, and Iroh to his right. Ozai stood by Azula on her other side. Ty Lee snapped the picture.
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Ty Lee yelled at Ozai as he tried to walk away. "I need a few more shots! I want to get it right!"
Ozai reluctantly got back into his spot next to Azula.
Next was Mai's family. Ty Lee positioned her friend between her parents: her mother on her right and her father on her left. Tom-Tom stood in front of Mai, and Kuro stood next to Haruka.
Iroh stood off to the side, being polite by holding coats and purses, and Azula stood behind Ty Lee, giving her opinion about how the pictures should be taken. Zuko and Ozai were a few feet away, standing next to a planter full of exotic flowers. They looked at the scene, observing it quietly.
Both men stood there awkwardly for several moments. They hadn't spoken to each other in years, their last conversation consisting of many colorful insults.
"Well?" Zuko finally said.
Ozai didn't respond right away, and Zuko immediately assumed that his father had gone to his default method of dealing with him: just flat out ignoring him.
"Well, what?" Ozai asked in his gruff manner, not bothering to look at Zuko, his attention fixed on Mai's family having their portrait taken by Ty Lee.
"Aren't you going to criticize Mai? Criticize my choice in a wife? Aren't you going to say something like, 'she doesn't have any presence,' or 'she'll make a terrible mother because she's so cold'?"
Zuko glared at Ozai. Ozai still didn't look at him.
"No, I'm not."
The older man's voice was calm, emotionless.
"And why not?" Zuko asked, his temper beginning to simmer just below the surface. "You've criticized every other choice in my life."
"Zuko, if this will keep you from making a scene and ruining this evening," Ozai began, finally giving his son his full attention, "I will be perfectly honest with you. You made an excellent choice."
Zuko was shocked, and it showed as his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Had his father actually just praised something that he had done? Had his father just complimented a decision he had made about his life, instead of insulting it? Had he just called Mai an excellent choice?
"Mai comes from a very good family, a very old and well to do family." Ozai began. "They've been in the metal working industry and mining for decades. I was talking with Daituro during dinner about buying a few of his newer mines. All these years I thought he was a idiot, but he actually has good business sense. He could have grown his industry as large as mine if he hadn't let certain distractions get in his way, but we don't all have that drive. To be honest, Zuko, I thought you'd end up yoking yourself with some low class girl with no sense and even less money. I know you're used to the finer things in life. That's the way I raised you and your sister. And since you'll be marrying Mai, there's a chance you might be taking over her father's business.
"And wipe that stupid expression off your face before someone assumes you're a moron."
Zuko did as he was told as his heart sank to the floor. Ozai didn't approve of Mai herself, he approved of Mai's family, and the connections that a marriage between her and his son bring to his family.
Of course, Zuko thought to himself. Although he was disappointed, his rage towards his father had subsided. Ozai's liking of Mai, or at the very least, her family, wasn't that much, but it was a start. Marrying Mai would definitely have more than one benefit. Besides spending the rest of his life with his soul mate, Zuko's family would begin the healing process, as slow as it was going to be. He never would have even considered speaking to either his father or his sister if it hadn't been for Haruka inviting the two to the engagement party and not telling Zuko or Mai about it.
Zuko's thoughts turned to his mother. One of her dying wishes had been that her husband and her son stop tearing each other down and just love each other like a father and son were supposed to.
"Smile!"
The flash of a camera had jerked him out of his thoughts. Ty Lee was behind the camera. The picture, once printed out, would reveal Zuko and Ozai looking at the camera in surprise.
Ty Lee giggled, and Zuko let out a chuckle as well.
"Okay, one more. This time I'll let you two actually smile, if you're capable of it." Ty Lee motioned with her hands for them to get closer to each other. "Come on, pretend that you like each other!"
At least he's not marrying Ty Lee, Ozai thought to himself, trying to force a smile for the picture.
Finally, Ty Lee finished taking her pictures.
"I'll email them to you tomorrow, Haruka," she said.
"Thank you, Ty Lee." Haruka replied, giving her a hug. "I'll call you and let you know as soon as I book an appointment with that bridal shop."
Ty Lee and Kuro took off, as they had driven in their own cars.
Mai's family and Zuko's family waited for their drivers to come pick them up.
"Nephew," Iroh called to Zuko, wanting to have a private conversation with him.
Zuko and Iroh stepped away from everyone else, to give themselves some privacy.
"Yes, Uncle?"
"I'm very proud of you, Zuko." Iroh began, "I just wanted to let you know that."
"Thank you, Uncle. But there's something else, isn't there?"
"Yes. I want to let you know that I will love and accept Mai like my own niece because I know that you love her. I would have done that even if she came from the poorest family in town."
"Thank you, Uncle, again. But there's something other than that that you wanted to tell me."
Years of depending on Iroh had given Zuko a sense of knowing when something was on the older man's mind.
"I overheard some of the conversation you had with your father. I was a little frightened at first, but you both kept your tempers in check."
"There was nothing to get angry about, really."
Iroh smiled.
"That temper runs in our family, unfortunately. Our father always seemed to explode over the most trivial things. He wasn't the best father either…not that that excuses Ozai for the things he's done to you…"
Zuko took in a quick breath, then said, "The things that he's done are in the past."
"I'm happy that you're ready to forgive, but don't be so quick to trust."
"I'm not sure if I'm ready to do either, but for Mai's sake, and her mother's sake, I'll try to keep our family's issues from interfering with the wedding, whenever that's going to happen."
"You can try. And I'll be there to help you."
"Thank you, Uncle."
They walked back to the area where everyone else was waiting. The cars drove up, just as Zuko and Iroh reached the group.
Goodbyes were said, and Daituro helped his wife into their car. Tom-Tom gave Mai one last big hug before he followed his father in. Mai waved goodbye as they drove off.
"Well, this is bye for now, Zuzu." Azula said. She gave him a quick hug, then gave one to Mai and finally, Iroh. "Goodbye, Mai. Goodbye, Uncle."
Ozai said his goodbyes at a distance, like he was used to, and then helped Azula into the car. It drove off.
"I guess I should call a cab." Zuko said, pulling out his phone.
"No need," Iroh said. "I can drive you two home."
"But it's really out your way to do so. You don't have to do that." Mai protested.
"No, no, it's fine." Iroh said. "You're my family now, I'm happy to do this for you."
All three walked to the parking lot, side by side. Iroh stood in the middle, an arm around each of them. They were heading home, to a place of safety and rest.
A/N: This started off a Maiko piece, but ended up as a generic Gaang fic centered around Maiko. Oh, well.
This version of Toph was inspired by a pic I saw on DeviantArt drawn by Dinglehopper. I'd link it, but I can't find it! I think she deleted it. Oh, well.