Gambling

The amber light of the torches flooded the room, casting flickering, golden shadows on dancers that swayed back and forth to the golden notes of harmonious music.

One couple in particular moved in a sort of trance, oblivious to the stares and whispers that surrounded the skilled dancers. As they moved to the beat and tempo of the music seemingly as one, more and more of the world seemed to disappear, until nothing seemed to exist. To her, there was nothing outside the amber eyes that she stared deep into. He was unaware that there was anything outside their little world than the feeling he got from holding her so close.

Almost nothing could penetrate the blissful veil the couple had surrounded themselves in.

"Hey, Sparky!"

Almost nothing.

Zuko dropped his gaze with Mai and turned his head toward the interruption with a puzzled look on his face. The last thing he expected to see was the diminutive earthbender standing next to Sokka, both of them staring back at him expectantly. Zuko and Mai stopped dancing.

"What? "

"Does this mean you're with Mai now?" asked Toph.

"What?" That caught him off guard.

"Is Mai your girlfriend now?" Toph asked this so confidently, you would have thought that this was a common, everyday question for her.

"What! Why is that any of you business," he asked, now getting frustrated.

"Whoa. Easy there, Sparky. It's just a question. Why are you getting so defensive? Is it because you don't want to admit it? Is that it?"

Mai immediately tensed and took a step back away from Zuko. "Yea, Zuko. Why are you getting so defensive?"

Boy was this going downhill fast.

"I'm not getting defensive!"

"Then why are you yelling," asked Mai.

"I'm not yelling!" Mai's threatening glare became even sharper, if it was possible.

Seeing where this was going, Zuko took a calming breathe and chose his words carefully.

"I'm not being defensive," he said calmly. "I love you Mai. And I'm not afraid to admit it you or to anybody."

Mai's shoulders dropped and she allowed a small smile to grace her features.

"Good answer," she said as she stepped back into Zuko's arms.

"So Mai is you girlfriend?"

Zuko glared at Sokka venomously.

"Yes, Sokka. Mai is my girlfriend."

"Are you sure?"

"I know who my girlfriend is," he replied impatiently.

Sokka released a sigh. "Okay. If you say so." He walked away with Toph before Zuko could respond.

"What was that about?" asked Mai.

Zuko stared hard at Sokka's and Toph's retreating backs. They were too far away for him to catch anything but snippets of their conversation.

"…was sure…gonna end up with Katara…"

"...stop complaining…you lost…with Mai…pay up…"

Then he saw Sokka reach into his pocket and give Toph a handful of gold coins.

"I think," he said, realization dawning on him, "I was the source of a bet."

Mai, for some reason, found this to be incredibly funny.

This is my submission for Zai (ZukoxMai)-which rolls off the tongue so much better that Maiko- which is organized by the Zai obsessed and talented TheBlueFoxTrot A Samba.

This isn't what I was going to submit for Zai week. But an odd series of circumstances involving my flash drive and a pair of pants fresh from the washing machine pretty much destroyed my original story. And in my depression, I came up with this. Tell me what you think.