Just Me
The smell of fresh spring blossoms always took him back. Even in his darkest moments, even when he was far away from home, it always took him far away and into simpler times, times that meant peace and joy only mildly spiced with disquiet and fear.
It had been a warm spring day when Zuko first met Mai. They were both so small and so innocent back then - as innocent as children born and raised during war time could be - and his world hadn't been shaken down into chaos quite yet.
Everything was sunny and bright, and being beside the turtle-duck pond made it all the more glaring – quite literally. But it wasn't too hot and the breeze was actually kind of cool, so both Zuko and his guest were comfortable.
Well, as comfortable as two kids could be while being consumed with shyness.
It wasn't his fault! Zuko's only experience with girls were of his sister and Ty Lee, and they were hardly the type to judge all girls off of. Mai was completely different; she was shy and reserved, and always had her hands in her sleeves and her eyes downcast. Whenever she met his gaze, she always went pink and looked away, as if he had something on his face that she was too amused to tell him about. And this had been going on for an hour.
He was tongue-tied, to say the least. She was pretty, like one of Azula's dolls (before she set it on fire), and yet there was a kind of coolness to her that could be seen from miles away. He liked that, and liked her, but had no way to convey this to her. So he just sat beside her in silence, staring at the ducks paddling before them, occasionally throwing chunks of bread to them in what he hoped was a suave manner.
It was weird; usually it was Azula that got calls from girls, and Zuko also knew that Mai was one of Azula's friends from school. So why had she come over to see him? It wasn't like he was fun to be around, especially when it came to firebending, but even when Azula and Ty Lee came by to hover around them for a while, Mai didn't join them when they left. She merely stayed at his side, very quiet, the sound of her breathing softer than the sound of the breeze.
Occasionally she would giggle softly into a sleeve if one of the turtle-ducks did something silly, and he couldn't help but join in, trying to duplicate the moment for her just to hear the sound again.
Pretty soon, however, Mai's parents came to the gardens to bring her home. They both stood at once, together and in sync with each other, something Zuko couldn't help but notice.
She blinked at him shyly, her tilted eyes wide and full of an emotion he couldn't fathom. With pink cheeks, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, her lips dry and soft. "Thank you, Prince Zuko," she said softly. "I had a wonderful afternoon."
Zuko felt his own face heat up, and he couldn't help but protest her words. "But we didn't do anything!"
Mai smiled widely, and his heart suddenly leaped in his chest. "You don't have to put on a show for me, Prince Zuko," she replied. She waved, then went to join her parents.
Zuko put a hand to his cheek, watching her go. He stood on the spot for a long time, the perfume of fresh flowers making him dizzy and light-headed.
Or maybe it was the kiss that was making him feel dopey.