Sokka took a moment outside Zuko's door to slump back against the wall. His knees were still wobbly, and he-
Maybe he hadn't been quite ready to walk away, as he'd thought. Or rather, to walk at all. It had just felt strange to lie in Zuko's bed when he was getting up already, even if he'd said it was okay. Of course it had felt weird to be in Zuko's bed at all. . .
But before he'd been . . . distracted enough to certainly not care about the weirdness, so much fainter under pleasure and uncertainty and desire. Sokka made a little purring sound without really thinking, tipping his head back against the wall, and focused on firming up his knees again.
He was not going to fall down in the hallway. No.
Although maybe if he wanted to avoid doing just that he should go find his own bed. Quickly.
Sokka swallowed, bracing himself, and pushed off the wall, then yelped, jumping back and slamming right back into it. "Oh- Oh, damn. . ." he said, cringing.
Mai smiled at him, a tiny expression - Sokka didn't think she had any expressions that weren't tiny, though he didn't know her well - and Sokka winced. How had he forgotten about Mai?
"Um, don't kill me, please?" Sokka asked helplessly. "I didn't- That is-" There wasn't actually much he could say to convince her, he thought. He could hardly deny- Even if he wanted to, though the threat of imminent death was very motivating. "I'm sorry?"
"Sorry?" Mai's eyes were sharp, but that wasn't new - they had been sharp every time Sokka had seen her. Mai was a very . . . sharp person. "For," her eyes flicked to Zuko's door, less than two steps to Sokka's left, "Zuko?" Her voice pinned him.
"Uh. No." Sokka said before he could think better of it, because he really did like Zuko even if he hadn't realised it was like that before last night, and he could hardly regret that oh spirits it had been- "But I'm sorry- I mean- You. . ."
"Oh, please." Mai said dryly, with the barest twitch of her mouth. "If I were a factor, do you really think he would be . . . playing with you?" she asked, arching one brow ever so slightly.
"Uh. What?" Sokka said faintly.
"Zuko and I aren't dating any more." Mai said, and Sokka felt nervous and cold. "It's fine." She narrowed her eyes. "He ran off without telling me what he was doing, twice. And," she paused, pursing her lips, and shook her head delicately, "nothing you need to know. Did you really think he was cheating on me?" she asked, tone suddenly harsh.
"I forgot." Sokka said honestly. "That, um. About you, and Zuko. He was just-" he broke off because even if Mai wasn't here to kill him for sleeping with her boyfriend, she probably didn't want to hear him talk details about sleeping with her ex-boyfriend.
Mai snorted quietly. "Boys." she muttered, but she still didn't sound murderous - would she, Sokka wondered? Mai never sounded like much of anything, as far as he was aware, even less than her face ever showed much of anything.
"Uh, sorry?" Sokka said, not entirely sure what he was apologising for.
"He likes you." Mai said, ignoring him - which might have been for the best - and Sokka flushed, biting his lip. Mai rolled her eyes. "He's been one of my friends for a very long time. I don't have many friends."
Sokka thought of crazy, happy, dangerous gymnast girl and then of psycho crazy Azula and thought Zuko was kind of a step up for her. Sokka wasn't going to say that because he wasn't crazy. But especially with that in mind, he could see why she'd remain attached to Zuko even after he'd been kind of dumb and they were no longer dating.
"So take good care of him." Mai said, with narrowed eyes. The tiny smile returned. "Or I will have to kill you." she added, and Sokka got the feeling if she was prone to showing emotion at all it would sound weirdly cheerful and that might actually be creepier.
"I- I will. Promise." Sokka said, not quite realising what he was saying, and Mai tilted her head delicately.
"I know you will." Mai said, emotionless, and then she turned and swept down the hallway, graceful and composed and utterly silent which was probably exactly how she would be if she ever really came to kill Sokka.
Not that he'd been planning to . . . what, be mean? He hadn't been planning to hurt Zuko anyway but. . .
"Sokka! You're still here." Zuko smiled, brushing his knuckles against Sokka's arm as he slipped out of his bedroom door and interrupted Sokka's jumbled thoughts. "Join me for breakfast?" he asked as Sokka wondered faintly how long ago he'd left Zuko's room.
Sokka smiled slightly and nodded acceptance. "Sure." he said happily. "I, uh. I was a bit too wobbly still to leave I guess." he said, rather than are you aware that Mai is scary and apparently thinks it's her job to protect you because he was sure Zuko was well aware of the first - although Zuko's judgement on what was scary could be skewed - and Sokka thought he'd probably either deny or disbelieve the second.
"Well you didn't have to leave." Zuko said, gesturing their way down the hallway. "I did say you were welcome to stay. . ."
"I, uh. I know." Sokka's steps hitched awkwardly. "I wasn't. . . I wasn't sure if you really . . . meant it?" he said uncertainly. "Or . . . if you wanted me to stay?"
Zuko drew him to a stop with a gentle hold on his arm. Sokka looked up into his eyes and found them intense and heated, and felt a little breathless. "I meant it." Zuko said, his voice soft. "I wanted you to stay and I wouldn't have said - or done - any of it if I didn't."
Sokka swallowed. "I. . . Right." he said weakly even as Zuko looked away again, cutting off the bright, sharp focus, and it wasn't Mai's sharp tawny eyes or her warnings that filled his mind and spurred Sokka on as his next words came to him. It was only Zuko's own brilliant gold eyes, so warm and dark last night - and again, this morning - and so clear and passionate now. "I meant it too. And I wanted to stay. I," he paused, "I will . . . next time?"
Zuko smiled, looking surprised but pleased, and Sokka felt something fluttery and light in his chest and belly, watching him. "Please do." he said softly, warm, dry fingers sliding over Sokka's wrist and clasping his hand.
Mai rolled her eyes. "Boys." she muttered to herself again, watching Zuko and Sokka both blush deeply as their hands twined together and they walked towards breakfast.
She might not understand why - and Mai had come to suspect that was a her thing and not a him thing, because she'd never quite felt that way herself - but Zuko wanted Sokka. They looked happy together, and Mai wanted Zuko happy.
She might not love him the way Azula and Ty Lee and, well, everyone, had expected, and she might have flatly refused him upon his return, but Zuko was still her friend. And, though less importantly, her Fire Lord.
And she knew his emotional issues better than possibly anyone except his Uncle. Mai was well aware, when being honest, that she could never have meshed with his broken edges. Mai was too cold and too withdrawn and didn't want that to change.
Zuko was passionate and warm and horribly awkward in an embarrassing yet sweet way with his affection. It was cute, but having it aimed at her also felt like wearing a dress that was scratchy and too tight.
Mai loved him, but she couldn't love him the way she'd always sort of assumed she was supposed to fall into. She'd realised somewhere between Ember Island and her Uncle's prison and Zuko's return to the palace that not only she couldn't, but she really didn't want to.
What Mai wanted was for Zuko to have someone who would be that for him; someone who wanted it and would be sweet and stupid in return in the ways Mai would never understand.
This story came to me with the opening paragraphs pretty much exactly as they are here - Sokka nearly falling down and still weak-kneed upon leaving Zuko's room the morning after their first time together only to run into Mai and panic.
After that Mai sort of surprised me with the tone of her warnings and with her firmly aromantic characterisation. I hope I did it, and her, justice - it's the first time I've written from Mai's POV and the first time I've written an aromantic character.