Author's note: Remember that coach scene in season 3, just before the Black Sun Day, where Mai and Zuko talk about fruit tarts? Me, too! This is a small one shot about it. Tell me what you think, if you like :)

I don't own these characters or their cartoon / comic series, I'm just a fan ^*

* The fruit-tart-incident *

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Weird, how suddenly things could change sometimes, Mai thought.

Even weirder, how much that surprised her. She wasn't used to being overly optimistic.

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A few hours ago, everything had been lovely. Yes, lovely. Not really a word she'd normally use, if she could prevent it, but in this case, it was true.

Things with Zuko had been lovely. He was lovely. He was alive, and safe, and home, and finally happy about it. He finally enjoyed being the prince.

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Zuko spend a lot of time with her. He was content around her. He tried to impress her and he even cuddled with her, - laying there on the coach in lazy afternoons and evenings, his arm around her back and her head somewhere between his shoulder and his neck. And she liked it. She finally understood Ty Lee's enthusiasm for hugs, somehow. Laying with Zuko on a coach, cuddling, and talking about new ways to keep the servants busy, wasn't bad at all.

In a way, Mai doubted that she'd ever been this carefree in her life.

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And then, a tiny phrase had ruined all of it, and their little bubble busted.

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One minute, he'd ordered a fruit-tart for her, with rose petals on top of it, and a content smile on his face. He'd looked so proud over something tiny like this, and Mai couldn't help but grin slightly, for a second. Zuko made her grin, and laugh and blush, and use words like "lovely" (well, at least in her head). That's how big her crush was.

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But then, she'd mentioned this arduous, political event, a boring general assembly, and in the matter of seconds, all of Zuko's forgotten anger and self-doubt reappeared. Apparently, he wasn't officially invited to that thing. He didn't even know about it. Huh.

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He was ashamed and furious, all of the sudden, and Mai once again didn't really know how to help him. She'd become better at talking about feelings and all that stuff. Ember island had helped. Spending time with Zuko had helped, especially, since his mood had improved. But still, cheering someone up wasn't really her strongest suit, and Zuko's monstrous problems and family complexes weren't easy to solve to begin with.

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Before she was really able to say anything helpful, Zuko had left the room already. He wanted to talk to Azula, who surely wouldn't make anything easier for him.

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Mai sighed. Hopefully, everything would be fine again tomorrow. Hopefully, that general assembly wouldn't be important at all, or Zuko's invitation simply had been lost by some scatterbrain of servant.

Hopefully, Zuko would be smiling again, tomorrow, and their content little bubble would swell around them once again, filled with lazy afternoons and fancy fruit-tarts.

Usually, Mai wasn't really that much of a hopeful person. But usually, she also wasn't nearly as happy around someone.

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