Yes, this is yet another romance collection from me, and shall be the dumping ground for all my Maiko drabbles, ficlets and one-shots that I feel are too small to be stand-alone stories. Enjoy!

Of Impulsiveness and First Kisses

Zuko had always been impulsive. Sometimes this was a good thing. Sometimes this was a bad thing. Right now, he was thinking that he really, really liked the girl sitting next to him, who was so close that he could feel the sleeve of her robe brushing his arm. Her dark hair was pulled into small ox-horn buns, framing a face that he'd heard her mother once call aesthetically pleasing. Whatever that meant. All Zuko knew was that he liked her cat-like brown eyes, so light they were almost gold, and he definitely liked the slight pout to her bottom lip, which right now was made even more obvious as she frowned at the scroll resting on her lap. It was really quite mesmerising.

I wonder what it would be like to kiss her.

The thought sprung to his mind of its own violation, and it made his pulse race with a little thrill of nervousness and exhilaration. He'd never kissed a girl before. He'd seen the servants and soldiers do it sometimes behind the kitchens, and judging by the sounds they made, they'd seemed to enjoy it enough. But Zuko had still never cared to personally try out this kissing business himself. Until now, that is.

Mai raised her head, perhaps sensing his intense gaze. "What?"

Zuko didn't think; he just leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Their noses bumped together and she made a muffled sound, which he wasn't sure was a good sign or not. Mostly, he was just thinking that kissing wasn't at all what he had expected and that he had no idea what to do now that their lips were actually touching. Should he open his mouth? Should he do something with his hands? As it was, he only managed to enjoy a few more seconds of clumsy lip-mashing before he panicked and pulled away.

Mai did not move at first and just stared at him through wide eyes, her cheeks blossoming with colour. Zuko could tell by the way his own face and neck were burning that he was blushing just as fiercely. And it was awkward. Really, really, awkward. So Zuko did what most thirteen-year-old boys do after having their first kiss with a girl without asking her permission; he bolted. Girls, after all, were crazy, and Zuko wasn't sure he wanted to risk Mai's wrath when he had seen for himself how easily she could pin a falling leaf to a tree with her knives.

Fortunately, the next time he saw his friend, she did not throw any projectile weapons his way. Instead, she grabbed his shirt, tugged him down to her level, and then kissed him full on the mouth. He was released a second later, looking rumpled and dazed.

"Now we're even," she said dryly, though her eyes glinted with a hint of a smile.

Zuko felt an answering grin tug at his lips, and he allowed his hand to find hers. He had always been an impulsive boy, but there was one thing to be said for his hasty, spur of the moment decisions; they did get results.