YAH, there really is another chapter! ^_^
This is more from Zuko's Perspective because.....well because I felt like it. lol. There was a lot of Mai in the first chapter...and I thought it would be nice to switch out a bit.
Let me know if I was right. Enjoy!
Although Zuko had gained a lot of respect as Fire Lord, at times he still felt as if he were being tested when certain issues were brought to his attention; sometimes repeatedly. Today had been one of those days, and although Zuko did not wish to rule with fear, he did feel some measure of satisfaction when he angrily stood up and announced that the issue was not up for discussion -causing the torches around the room to blaze, and most of the men to shrink back. It was hard to concentrate during a meeting when you felt you had already attended it a hundred times over, and Zuko was tired of having to repeat himself. His thoughts seemed to always wander back to Mai too, feeling more and more anxious about seeing her, and not even bothering to wait for everyone else to leave the meeting before exiting himself.
She had seemed fine by the time he had left her, almost completely back to normal, although a bit upset. She didn't seemed to have lost any weight, he noticed while carrying her back to their bed, which was good considering her lack of appetite during the mornings. The healer he had sent to examine her had also not reported back to him, which meant that there was nothing pressing to say about her condition, yet still he felt like something was off.
Perhaps Mai was right, and he was just being over protective, or even pessimistic, although it was hard for him not be.
After all, it seemed as if peace had finally been established within the nations, and for the first time in a long time things were going well in Zuko's life. He knew that Mai was a major reason for this, and he held no doubts about her importance in his life. He sometimes wondered if he could have made it through those first couple years as Fire Lord without her by his side, and now her role there had been made permanent. She had agreed to marry him, something that shouldn't have surprised him as greatly as it did, but he had not been accustomed to things going his way- he still wasn't. And that was most likely the reason for his sudden anxiety about her health. It seemed to be a pattern in Zuko's life to loose those he cared about, to have things fall apart just when things were going right. It seemed like fate was destined to intervene when ever Zuko found happiness. Why would now be any different?
He shook his head, deliberately slowing down his pace. 'You're worrying over nothing.' he told himself, and the voice in his head echoed in Mai's exasperated although monotone voice.
He released a breathe, and turned the corner, coming to an abrupt stop at the sight before him.
Mai.
Zuko knew he would be passing the gardens, but although he had promised her lunch there, he hadn't expected to find her waiting on him.
She was facing away from him at the moment, adorned in a traditional fire nation gown, and hair only half pulled up, her golden royal pendant gleaming in the afternoon sun. Her hands rested neatly on the white railing in front of her, separating herself from the extravagant garden that the small patio overlooked. A small table set to one side, a simple lunch prepared for two still sitting there untouched.
He had half expected to find Mai still in bed, but that was clearly not the case. She was very much awake, and prepared. Most likely annoyed with having to wait for him, he thought as the last of his tension eased and he approached her.
He could tell by the slight rise of her shoulders that she was aware of his presence even before he got close, but that did nothing to stop the sly smile on his face as he stopped behind her, resting his hands gently on her narrow shoulders, and leaning forward to speak softly into her ear.
"I see you're feeling better."
"I am." she replied, just as softly.
Zuko smiled at the reassurance, planting small tender kisses on the side of her neck, taking in the scent of her hair. He felt her shiver slightly at the contact and then smirked against her skin before nibbling gently on her flesh.
"Zuko." he voice was nearly hushed, even a bit pleading.
Zuko moved his hands from her shoulders and brought them to lay on her waist, gently pulling her closer against him. When Mai leaned back slightly into his touch, he brought his hands around her in a light although affectionate embrace. As soon as his hands hand rested comfortably on her stomach however, she stiffened.
"Zuko." her voice was more stern now. "Please stop."
Confused, Zuko pulled back slightly, though still holding her. "Why?"
Hadn't Mai complained that very morning about their time together being so limited?
"You're distracting me."
Zuko smiled ironically at the statement, although Mai could not see the expression.
"That's kind of the idea." He replied with a bit of a playful tone as he placed his lips against her neck once again.
This time Mai turned away from his affectionate touch.
"I'm serious."
Mai's tone was unmistakable, and Zuko was not so foolish as to ignore it a second time. Cautiously he pulled away, frowning in confusion as he came to stand beside her. Could it be that she was still upset with him from earlier? It was a ridiculous notion, but Zuko had to admit that Mai's behavior had been a little irrational as of lately.
"Is this about what happened this morning?" he asked , glancing sideways at her, although her head was turned away from him.
There was a pause before Mai shook her head, answering with an emotionless "No."
Zuko frowned a bit more, wondering if she were being honest with him, but when she didn't say anything else, he decided to continue.
"I'm sorry you had to wait on me," he said, apologizing for what he thought might also be the problem. "I wish I could say it was a productive meeting, but I'd probably be lying."
He chuckled slightly, but Mai's only response was a disinterested 'hm'. Zuko frowned, now completely at a loss, but attempting to at least get her attention, he reached over to lay one of his hands over her own. He was surprised when he felt her jerk slightly at the contact, almost as if she had been caught off guard- a task not easily accomplished by anyone, especially someone who was already within such close range. She had obviously been in deep thought, and Zuko knew that Mai was not the day dreaming type.
"Something on your mind?" He asked, not commenting on what he had just silently observed.
"Sort of." she replied without hesitation, and then as if changing the subject she continued. "The healer came later than I expected."
Zuko was a bit confused by the change in topic, but smiled some.
"I thought you'd appreciate the extra sleep." he confessed. "And I didn't want to chance you sending him away if he came too early."
"I almost did anyway." She admitted dryly. "He was annoying."
Zuko chuckled some.
"Maybe so, but you do seem to be feeling better." He replied, grinning. "I'm guessing you were right about it being a stomach flu then?"
She released a soft breath, and he felt her hand clench and unclench beneath his touch.
"Not exactly."
Zuko gave her a questioningly look, but it went unnoticed since Mai still did not look his way.
"Well it can't have been anything urgent," He said, frowning a bit. "He was to immediately report back to me if it was."
"Unless I ordered him not to." She said simply, and immediately sensing her Husbands confusion explained, "I felt it was something that you needed to hear from me."
Zuko blinked, unsure of what this meant, although his previous sense of dread returned. He wasn't going to be as petty as to question why her orders would override his own, and so just assumed that she was handling the situation in a way that was best for the both of them. Mai had always done so in the past, and he trusted her with that.
Still, this did nothing to settle his nerves.
"Is it something serious?" He asked, being direct and hoping she would dismiss his concerns.
There was another pause, this one more pronounced than before as she answered quietly and calmly.
"Yes. It is."
Zuko felt numb, unable to respond in any way as his mind processed what she had just said.
He knew that Mai was not one to easily admit when something was wrong, especially if it concerned herself, and so the fact that she had just plainly acknowledged that whatever illness she had was serious….
Zuko's numbness was replaced by a feeling like ice water trickling down his back, and his heart seemed to stop beating for a moment before it settled in the pit of his stomach.
With a sudden sense of urgency, and almost without realizing it, he had pulled her hand away from the railing and gripped it firmly in his own.
"It can't be that bad." He said, forcing down his own panic and trying to be rational. "You wouldn't be out of bed if it was. And you said yourself that you were feeling better."
Mai turned toward him slightly, not refusing his comfort, but still not meeting his gaze. She didn't look sick from what he could tell, and her voice had not sounded grim when she spoke- although Mai was very good at detaching herself from her emotions when she needed to.
"I am feeling better." Mai intoned. "And I didn't say it was bad. Just serious."
Zukos frowned deeply at Mai's cryptic answer, feeling as if he were talking to his uncle, trying to solve some kind of riddle, and it frustrated him. This new feeling seemed to be a welcome distraction from his other more distressing emotions, and he found himself slipping effortlessly into an old role.
"You didn't say it was good either." he pointed out, his annoyance easily masking his fear and concern, "So as far as I'm concerned, it's the same thing."
Mai's hand jerked out of his own, and although her eyes were shadowed he saw the corner of her mouth turn down; two subtle but clear signs that she was upset.
And just as quickly as his anger had come, it left, and Zuko sighed in slight frustration-not at Mai, but himself- knowing that he had let his emotions get the best of him, and hating the way he had just acted.
"I'm sorry," he forced out past his own self-loathing, sounding just as drained as he suddenly felt. "I'm just…worried."
For the first time since his arrival, she looked up at him.
Mai had always been a difficult person to read, and often it was only when looking her in the eyes that Zuko was able to decipher what she was feeling. However, as Mai's dark amber eyes met his own light gold, he was completely taken back.
Her eyes seemed to almost glisten, as if trying to convey too many emotions at once. The intensity of it reminded Zuko of the boiling rock, and how she had glared steadily at him from behind a locked door before he made his escape. Back then Zuko felt as if it had taken almost all his strength to turn away from her, and the look of anger, betrayal, and hurt in her eyes had stayed with him long after. However, although her eyes held the same intensity, they did not possess any of those aforementioned emotions.
"It's okay, Zuko." She answered, and despite the slight unease in her otherwise patient smile, Zuko had never heard Mai sound so at peace.
Calm and emotionless, yes, but nothing like this.
"I didn't expect you to make this easy for me." she confessed, in a tone that was more teasing than annoyed.
It was hard for Zuko to describe how beautiful she looked in that moment, and he wanted so much to kiss her then, to pull her close and tell her how much he loved her. This sudden rush of love and affection, immediately followed by the realization that something was wrong, caused Something inside Zuko to break.
The look in Mai's eyes gained new meaning, and Zuko thought it might have been acceptance that he recognized. Whatever her condition may be, however serious it was, she had found peace with it, and Zuko felt anything but relieved with this.
Mai was a rational person, so if she didn't seem upset with what she considered a 'serious' condition, then it was only because she saw no point in being. Her only concern at the moment seemed to be how he would handle the news himself, which explained her hesitation in revealing what was wrong.
Her concern over his reaction to the news was not unfounded, for even now he felt like he was going to fall apart, and he wasn't sure if he could bare it. To even think of loosing Mai- never hearing her velvet like voice filled with dry wit and sarcasm, never feeling her smooth porcelain like skin, never seeing her smile…those special smiles that seemed reserved only for him. He loved her, he needed her, and right now nothing mattered more to him than her; not his throne, not his nation, not even his own life.
He place both his hands on her upper arms in a reassuring grip, and his eyes locked on to hers.
"Whatever's wrong, we'll fix this," He promised her, his determination just barely overriding his desperation.
Confusion made it's way into her eyes, but it was soon followed by exasperation.
"Zuko," She frowned, closing her eyes. "This isn't something you can just fix."
That was the last thing he wanted to hear, and Zuko shook his head in an almost angry gesture, refusing to accept that there was nothing that could be done.
"There has to be something." He insisted, his mind frantically searching for a solution. "There must be some kind of…cure…or.." He paused and then straightened. "Katara!"
Mai sighed. "Zuko.."
"Katara could heal you." He said, ignoring what he assumed would be Mai's protest. "We could send a letter now and-"
"Zuko!"
Mai's stern voice cut through his rambling, and his eyes focused back on her now angry looking face as she pushed his hands off her shoulders.
"There's no point in Katara coming here." she replied, frowning. "You don't even know what I'm going to tell you."
"I don't care, Mai." He insisted, frustrated to the point of near tears. "I'm not going stand by and do nothing. I can't lose you!"
Mai eyes widened slightly in comprehension, before narrowing in irritation.
"I'm not dieing you idiot." She replied, her voice rising in an attempt to penetrate her husbands thick skull. "I'm pregnant."
"Thank Agni..," Zuko sighed, bowing his head, his shoulders slumping.
She wasn't dieing. He wasn't going to lose her. Zuko felt relief and gratitude wash over him as he comprehended this and nothing else..
"For a moment I thought you might be.."
His shoulders drew back suddenly, his head quickly jerking up to stare at his wife in shock and disbelief as his brain caught up with the rest of her words.
"P-Pregnant!?"
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Hehe. I know it was evil of me to end this chapter like that, but well...I'm evil sometimes.
I do plan on making another chapter though....so don't worry about that. I'll probably switch bak in forth between both Zuko's and Mai's thought and feelings in the next installment thought.
Until then, please leave me a review.
Let me know if I'm getting too OOC.
