Mai was sinking into another depressive spell. Zuko could sense it when he came to her house that night.
She sat by the window, looking out dismally at the world below. Darkness had fallen, and yet the roofs all around had an eerie, warm glow to them. Their orange lights flickered in Mai's dark eyes.
She looked so beautiful sitting there, Zuko thought.
He walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
She was dressed in her night clothes; a long gown of black and red. Her hair was down, shoes off, no weapons on her at all.
"May I sit?" Zuko asked her in a calm, quiet voice.
Mai nodded.
He sat down beside her, edging close to her. He knew that Mai liked his closeness, even when she felt sad. He wrapped his arm around her, and she leaned into him, happy (as much as she could be) for his embrace.
Her eyes dropped.
Zuko hugged her tighter.
"I know you don't feel well," Zuko whispered into her ear.
They were completely alone. Mai hadn't anyone around the house, and Zuko had sent the royal servants away.
He wasn't fond of having them follow him around everywhere he went. He sent them off every opportunity he had.
"Zuko," Mai whispered back.
Zuko wrapped his arms around her even tighter, and she closed her eyes, trying to focus on nothing more than his embrace. The warmth of his body, the strength of his arms, the soothing feeling of his presence, the softness of his voice. Zuko she had taken comfort in so many times before, and she loved him.
She loved him for all that he did for her, but most importantly, she loved him. That feeling cradled her more than anything.
Mai could feel tears starting to well in the back of her eyes, but she forced them away. She did not cry, no matter what.
Shutting down her emotions was something she had learned long ago. But here, and now, she felt that she didn't have to hold back anymore.
"I love you, Zuko," she whispered.
Zuko hugged her tighter. Mai could sense the smile that spread across his face. "I love you, too, Mai," he whispered back to her. Mai leaned into his embrace, feeling the sadness start to ebb away.
What was replacing it, she could not tell.
Perhaps nothing was replacing it; or perhaps it was a grey feeling.
She remembered long ago, back on Ember Island, where Ty Lee had said she had a grey aura. She didn't argue; that's what it felt like a lot of times for her.
"Zuko," Mai whispered again. She opened her eyes again, looking out across the wide expanse of Fire Nation houses. The night was already so dark, but not dark enough. In Mai's opinion, that was.
"What is it, Mai?"
She stood up, slowly, lethargically. Zuko followed her up, standing far quicker. She took his hand gently and walked him away from the still open window.
She led him through hallways, until they came at last to Mai's bedroom.
It was peacefully dark. No orange-y light to be detected. That soothed Mai in ways she could not describe. The dullness of the dark was always so calming, so soothing. She felt like it had a way of making everything in the world okay again.
Everything was always so simple in the darkness. Under moonlight, everything was always so perfect.
Zuko was closing the door of her room, casting them into even more darkness. They didn't need much light to find their way, though.
Zuko was already undressing, letting his robes fall to the floor in meaningless heaps. When he was down to his undergarments, he kicked everything away from him, and forgot about them.
They weren't important now.
Mai was.
Mai was important.
Together, they walked over to Mai's bed. She turned the covers down, and climbed in. The sheets were perfectly cool and soft, snuggling her in. They felt perfect, and she felt like she could lay in them forever. Just lay there forever and ever, sleep and dream and lay in a semi-awakened state.
Zuko crawled in after her, pulling the covers up around both of them.
Mai reached out her hands, and pulled Zuko in close to her. She felt his body against hers, the strength and warmth and comfort that she craved. She smiled warily.
Zuko pressed his body up against her, laying on his hands on her hip. He kissed her lightly on the lips.
Mai blinked a few times, then closed her eyes.
She slid her hand over Zuko's, wanting him to be with her more than ever right now. Zuko embraced her once more, and Mai found herself lost in a sea of intimacy.
In her sadness, this was all that she craved. Someone who cared, who loved her, and a dark and quiet place where no one could bother them. A place where they had all the time in the world, and an understanding that the two of them had.
Already she was starting to drift off to sleep.
Zuko was drifting as well, but he kept his eyes open, watching Mai's face.
He studied her expression carefully. He ran his fingers up and down the length of her, stroking her gently. He knew she loved that.
The sadness on her face began to melt away.
Replaced by a tiredness.
But something else.
Something he could only try to put into place.
But if he had to guess, he would say a comfort. A comfort that came only with what the two of them had.
He pulled her sleeping self close to him, wrapping her tightly in his arms. He kissed her on her face, her head. He knew it was love.
But it was also more.
More clichés, I know, but just something good to read. Something good for me to write, as well. For how I'm feeling right now, this was very soothing for me to write.
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