Miscalculation
An Avatar the Last Airbender AU
Chapter 1: What They'd Both Been Dreaming Of
Neither Mai nor the man, a man who wore a peasant's hat to keep off the sun and ragged looking Earth Kingdom clothing, were willing to move. It was as if they were playing a game of pig chicken, seeing who would lose nerve and veer out of the way first. Mai wished that she could see his face, look into his eyes, and intimidate him with her best glare. But the fool kept staring down and that damned hat did a good job of shading his face.
"The dirt must be awfully interesting," Mai muttered to herself. "Well, he is Earth Kingdom, after all." Chuckling at her bad joke, she pushed the mongoose lizard even harder.
The man, meanwhile, who, the closer she got to him, looked more like a boy around her age, finally lifted his head and stared directly at her. It wasn't his scar that Mai noticed first, but his deep gold eyes, eyes that she dreamed about at night and had for three straight years. It was Zuko, right there in front of her, in the middle of the Earth Kingdom. He had been that close and she hadn't even known it.
Right there in front of her, she thought again, hardly able to believe her good fortune. The reins in her hand were slack and she was giving her mount no direction. Apparently, it had a mind of its own, no matter how small, and had decided to continue straight at the ostrich horse; that was what Zuko rode. She could see it clearly now, of course.
"Zuko," Mai intoned softly. "It's me, Mai."
He couldn't hear her, not over the pounding of his animal's clawed feet or the loud swishing noise of her animal's long tail. She looked for signs of recognition on the prince's face, but saw nothing. Zuko was so determined looking and seemed so sad and lost. Mai's heart broke a little bit as she stared at him. Then she saw something flicker in his eyes, noticed the twitching of his lips. He mouthed her name and Mai's heart began to mend, the tiny shattered pieces finding their way back to each other.
So engrossed in the other were they both, that neither noticed when their animals actually did collide, stupid, competitive beasts that they were. Both Mai and Zuko flew headlong into the dirt, landing together in a tangled heap of limbs, pale skin flushed bright pink, and faces close enough to kiss. Mai fought back the desire to do just that.
"Mai," Zuko breathed out slowly. "It really is you. I, I thought, I mean, I hoped….are you all right?"
She swallowed hard and nodded. Mai was enjoying the feel of his body against hers and found that she couldn't move. Or maybe it was that she didn't want to. Zuko nodded back and gave her a shy smile, glad that she was uninjured. He gently moved her leg from on top of his, shifted their arms and then stood up. Extending a hand, every bit the honourable gentleman, Zuko helped Mai to stand. They gazed at each other silently, drinking faces and bodies in. Three years was a long time not to see someone, especially someone that you cared very much for.
"Guess we should check the animals out," the prince suggested finally, lowering his gaze and fiddling with his dull brown sash.
"Mmm, your hair is short," Mai declared, looking down and carefully examining her now dusty pointy toed Fire Nation shoes.
Zuko untied his hat and dragged calloused fingers through his cropped dark brown hair. "Yeah, um, yours is really shiny." He couldn't believe that she mentioned his hair of all things and hadn't given his scar so much as a glance. He also couldn't believe the stupid things he said sometimes.
Mai rolled her eyes and stepped closer to the prince. "I see three years away from home hasn't improved your ability to talk to girls." Her tone wasn't cruel but playful rather, and another smile tugged at Zuko's mouth. "So, what are you doing following Azula? You do know that she's in the track machine, don't you?"
"I know. People in the last village I passed through were talking about it and mentioned Azula. I, she tricked me a few weeks ago, told me I could come home, that my father had forgiven me. I actually believed her, Mai. But, her real plan was to bring me and Uncle back as prisoners. We got away and well, now we're refugees, just like so many people in the Earth Kingdom. I want to fight her again, prove that I can do better."
"You can't ever trust Azula. You know that, Zuko." Mai reached up with her hand and let it hover in front of the prince's face before finally touching just the edge of his scar. Zuko resisted the desire to flinch at her touch. He didn't like anyone putting their hands on the disfiguring mark, but Mai's fingers felt cool and soothing. They felt right. "And you don't need to prove anything."
"You have no idea what I've been through the past three years!" He shouted the words, his face scrunching up in anger and pain. Mai removed her fingers and stepped back, her own face growing angry. "I have everything to prove."
"Not to me," she stated coolly. "And those three years weren't easy for me either." She stared into his eyes, willing him to understand what she meant by those words; I missed you. I never stopped thinking about you. There could never be anyone else.
He dropped his head into his hands and let out a low groan. "I'm sorry, Mai. I didn't want to leave (you). And I'm sorry you had a bad time. Everything is such a damned mess."
"Yeah, I guess it is," Mai agreed. She had inched forward again, wanting to be close to Zuko, wanting to touch. "So, what do we do? Azula thinks I'm 'taking care of' the peasant who was trailing her. She expects me to join her soon. The Avatar and his friends are not far. We've been following them."
"The Avatar is mine," Zuko hissed. "I need to capture him so I can get home. How dare she? She always ruins everything for me."
"Calm down," Mai placated, taking his hand in hers and stroking his fingers. "We randomly encountered the Avatar in Omashu. Azula was there to get me. I had just moved to that cursed city with my parents and my little brother."
Zuko raised his one eyebrow and looked confused. "Brother?"
"Oh, yeah; his name is Tom-Tom and he's almost two."
"So your parents have their heir, their son. They must be happy." He squeezed Mai's fingers sympathetically.
"Oh, they're delirious and I've been completely forgotten. Slipping away with Azula was easy. I was so bored, Zuko. I just wanted to get out of that place. And then your sister mentioned you, capturing you. I couldn't go back or refuse. Azula would have killed me or hurt my family. So I went along. The Avatar has become more her focus now. Killing or catching him will secure her position in the Fire Lord's eyes." Mai was shocked at how much she had spoken. Usually a few pointed words or a succinct sentence were all that passed her lips. Zuko was already bringing out that different Mai, the one who felt comfortable and liked and respected.
"She'll always be better," the prince stated wistfully. "I can't compare to her. Mai, you need to go back. I don't want her to hurt you. If Azula knows that you saw me and didn't do anything, she'll, she'll….."
"I know, Zuko; I've seen what she does." A little tremble made its way through Mai's body. "There is another solution, though."
"Another solution," Zuko mimicked. "Like what?" He paused for a moment and then scowled deeply. "NO!"
"Not the reaction I was hoping for," Mai drawled as she stepped toward her mongoose lizard. "Why can't I stay with you?"
"Do you want to be a traitor? Do you want Azula hunting you down like some common criminal? Don't you want to go home?" Zuko's gaze was deep and penetrating. Mai had forgotten just how intense Zuko could be. "I won't let you ruin your life, Mai, not for me, not if I can stop you."
"You can't stop me and you can't make me ride back to Azula. I'm staying with you. I would rather be declared a traitor and be with you than stick with your sister. She's crazy and she's cruel and she's scary. And she told me to my face that she intends to kill you and your uncle. How could I live with myself if I got back in that track machine?"
Zuko shook his head and then pinched the bridge of his nose, hard. "She'll want to kill you, maybe moreso than me. Azula doesn't take kindly to people betraying her, especially for her much despised brother."
"Well, that might be exciting at least," Mai smirked.
"It's not funny and life as a refugee isn't easy, Mai. I'm hungry. I've got no money left and I have no idea where I will end up. I sleep on the ground. It's uncomfortable and cold at night. There are bandits roaming the countryside."
"I don't care. I've made up my mind. And I have money, by the way, lots of it."
Zuko dropped back down onto the ground, resting his head on his knees. He wanted Mai to stay with him so much that his body actually ached with the desire. But he didn't ever want any harm to come to her. He wouldn't be responsible for anything that might hurt her. And he didn't know if he could protect her from Azula.
Mai joined him, moving aside a few rocks before she sat and resting a hand loosely on his shoulder. She noticed the prince's sword sheath for the first time. "I'll bet that sword can beat back a lot of bandits," she stated. "And since when do you have a sword?"
"Since almost three years ago," Zuko explained. "I needed something to keep me busy, so I bought the dao and trained myself. I think benders should learn other methods of fighting."
"Like me with my knives," Mai said, a little bit of wonder in her tone. "Zuko, I don't mind the hardships, really. Well, I'm sure that I'll complain but I can take it. I want to stay. It's my decision. For once, I'm making one. How could I choose Azula over you?" She moved her hand upward so that it touched his hair and then ran her fingers through its short length.
"I couldn't bear if something happened to you." Zuko raised his head and peered into Mai's pale gold eyes.
"Then let's make sure nothing does."
Zuko needed it so badly; this thing that would make him happy, this thing that would bring him joy. He needed Mai and he had gone without her for what seemed like an eternity. Maybe, for once, he should think about something besides his mission to capture the Avatar. Maybe he should think about the bleakness of his life and welcome in the love that Mai was certain to bring.
"Okay," he agreed hesitantly. "But I'll worry about you all the time and …."
"Yeah, yeah, I know you will." Mai darted forward and placed a quick kiss against Zuko's cheek. "Oh, and the scar isn't so bad. I don't even see it. I just see you."
They sat like that for a few minutes, the brutal sun beating down upon them, little beads of perspiration on both of their foreheads. Mai took a swig from her water skin and offered it to Zuko.
"So where is your uncle anyway?" she asked when Zuko handed back the skin.
"I'm not sure; about a week ago, I decided that I should travel on my own. I needed to think." Zuko looked a bit stricken as he thought about Iroh walking miles through the rocky terrain.
Mai took one more sip of water and then pushed the cap down hard. "And how did that work out for you?" She swiped at her damp black bangs then, wiping the sweat off on her tunic with a faint look of disgust.
"Not well and I miss him. Being alone isn't so great." Zuko reached for her hand tentatively and when Mai didn't slap him away he smiled. "But I'm not alone anymore."
A few moments of thoughtful silence passed.
"Damn, it's hot. I might even wear one of those hats out of pure desperation." Mai indicated Zuko's peasant hat and gave it a tap. "So what do we do now, Prince Zuko?"
"You can't wear those clothes, Mai. Earth Kingdom peasants do not wear red or burgundy." He flushed at the mere thought of Mai removing the layers of cloth that covered her.
"Well, I don't have any other clothes and certainly nothing green, so what do you suggest?"
"I do have a spare set of clothes in my bag. I'm not sure how clean they are, though."
"Oh, great, men's clothes, and dirty ones to boot; I suppose there isn't a shop around here somewhere?"
"Uh, no, the last town was miles back."
"I wasn't being serious, Zuko." Mai rolled her eyes again and held out her hand. "Give them to me."
The prince got up and untied his satchel from the ostrich horse's saddle. He dug around for a minute until he came up with dark green pants and a pale green tunic. "Here." He handed them to Mai. "They're wrinkled and I have no spare shoes, but it will have to do."
Mai grabbed the clothes and gave them a sniff. If anything, they smelled like Zuko, a scent still surprisingly familiar to her. Sighing, she moved to stand behind the ostrich horse, using the beast for cover. "Don't look," she ordered brusquely.
Zuko stammered out a reply. "N, no, of course not."
"I just hope that all my blades and arrows will fit beneath this tunic."
Zuko swung his head around (he couldn't help himself) and caught a tantalizing glimpse of pale leg beneath the ostrich horse's belly and pale arms above it. Knives were strapped everywhere and each wrist and ankle bore spring loaded holsters. "S, sorry," he muttered when Mai gave him a glare.
"I've gotten pretty good with my knives," she informed the prince with typical understatement.
"Um, yeah, you sure have enough of them." Zuko agreed.
"A lot has changed, but a lot of things are still the same." Mai's tone was contemplative and she gazed at Zuko for a moment before tugging on the pants. They were too large and she had to pull the drawstring tight to hold them up. Even so, inches of bunched material hung from her bottom. "Flattering," she muttered sarcastically and then slipped her arms into the sleeves of Zuko's spare tunic. It was bunchy too and the sleeves were overly long. They did hide her wrist holsters, though, and that was a good thing. Mai did her best to disguise her obviously Fire Nation shoes, stuffed her Fire Nation outfit into Zuko's satchel and then stepped from behind the ostrich horse. "Better?" she asked Zuko. "You can turn around now."
There was something very intimate about Mai wearing his clothes. A spark of arousal began deep in his belly and a flush crept up his cheeks. He wanted to see more of that beautiful skin. But he replied politely instead. "You look fine, much more like a peasant."
"Good; can we go then? Azula's getting further away, the longer we delay. And I'm itching to use my blades."
"No, wait, your hair, Mai; you should let it down or put it in a simple ponytail. Peasants don't wear hairstyles like that and we have to blend in." Secretly, Zuko was excited to see Mai unpin all that beautiful black hair.
"I don't even look like me anymore," Mai grumbled as she pulled out hairpin after hairpin.
Zuko observed every move closely. "That's the idea." He sighed when Mai's hair fell down her back and closed his eyes briefly. It was almost too lovely to look at.
"Am I done now?" Mai's hair was in a loose ponytail, held with a simple black tie.
Zuko nodded. "We can't use the mongoose lizard either."
"Right, right; it's a Fire Nation animal. I get to ride with you then." Mai felt the beginnings of her own arousal now. She slapped her mount on the back and yelled at it to move. Stupidly, it just looked at her. "Don't follow us," she chastised the beast.
Zuko climbed aboard the ostrich horse and waited for Mai to do the same. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, and tried to adjust to the completely different feel of this animal.
"If we find Azula, you don't have to fight her, you know. I can do it myself." Zuko wore his hat again but thinking better of himself offered it to Mai.
"No, thanks; I'm not ready for the hat yet. And I do have to fight Azula. I want to help you, Zuko. You won't have to do anything by yourself ever again."
The banished prince, so alone in so many ways for the past three years, felt warm and comforted by Mai's words. Despite guilt and misgivings, he looked forward to traveling with her.
"All right; we'll follow the trail and see where it leads. Now, if only Uncle would show up."
Mai linked her fingers together and pressed them into Zuko's abdomen. She could feel the firm muscle beneath his tunic and she could feel that he had not been eating much.
"Things will get better," she whispered in his ear.
He didn't reply. Mai wasn't sure if it was because he couldn't hear them or because he didn't believe her words.
