Author's Note: Sorry that it took me so long to update. I was planning on three week updates, but it might be monthly give or take. I haven't written anything other than original fiction in a very long time, so I'm a bit rusty when it comes to fanfic and not having infinite time to chip away at a story. I want to have regular updates and thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and faved and followed and read the first chapter. My apologies, and expect an update monthly (hopefully more than that, but c'est la vie).
In the kitchen of his mansion, Zuko proudly snarls at his father, "Why does it matter if I slept with Mai? It's not like I got her pregnant or something."
"It matters because I don't want you sleeping with her." Ozai catches himself. "Or any other girl. I don't want you sleeping with her or any other girl."
He falters on the last sentence and Zuko picks up on it. After a brief second figuring out the ammo, Zuko asks, "What do you have against her? It isn't like you've ever wanted to look out for me. Did she do something? Do you hate her dad? What is it?"
Ozai clenches his jaw and gives his son a look that ends the conversation.
He does not do well with sharing, particularly with his disgrace of a son.
That same Sunday, Mai sneaks out in the middle of the night. She knows she should not, but she does it anyway. How can she help it? She never has been so drawn to a man in her life. Which is why she ended up pregnant. While she did not love him, any attraction is a disastrous waste of time.
She should have known better.
Mai meets him at Ultraviolet, the coffee shop by the quaint luxury movie theater everyone raves about. Mai does not think it is very exciting, nor does she like the soup and coffee he ordered for her.
"We've never exactly been on a date before. What do you want?" Mai asks. Ozai smirks.
"That's why I like you. You're not afraid of me and you don't give a fuck what I think of you."
Sarcastically, Mai replies, "I'm just a lovable person. Please tell me why you told me to meet you here."
"I just want to talk," says Ozai.
Mai looks at him doubtfully. "About what?"
Suddenly enraged for no apparent reason, Ozai growls like the formidable businessman he is, "Explain to me why my son thinks he slept with you."
"Because he did," Mai says. She cannot believe she came all the way here for this.
"Then my next question would be why you would ever want to do that?"
"I can sleep with whoever I want." Mai sets down her backpack. "Like you. Why don't we just skip to that because this isn't a conversation I want to have. It isn't like this is a relationship when you have a wife and we're breaking the law every time we do anything I'd consider fun."
"It's a conversation you will have with me, because it is important."
"I slept with him because we were alone after our date and I thought it would be fun. I have no idea why you need more of a reason than that. If this is some part of that weird Oedipal thing you and Zuko have going on, there are no words for how disappointing the encounter was. I hesitate to even call something so boring and short sex."
"I won't stop you." He glares at her, however, daring her to accept that faux offer.
"Good," Mai coldly replies.
The trio of best friends meet at their favorite indie coffee shop after school. Azula opens her binder and Ty Lee hungrily steals her study guide.
"You're the only reason I pass school," Ty Lee says, clutching the laminated paper to her chest. "You're like the smartest and most organized person in the whole world."
Azula smirks smugly. Mai thinks she might throw up all over the table when she sees both of her friends blush and meet eyes. She could blame morning sickness, but she has always felt disgusted by Azula and Ty Lee becoming so obsessed with each other.
"Why do you want to keep your… secret?" Ty Lee asks Mai. She does not mean the last word; she clearly means the baby.
It is the last question Mai expected, especially from that friend. Maybe she knows that many will ask once the pregnancy becomes common knowledge. Her parents certainly will, Zuko might, Ozai definitely will. Not Ty Lee.
"I honestly don't know," Mai replies, meaning every word of her response. "I don't know why it's such a crime. Aren't you a huge fan of Sixteen and Pregnant?"
"Mostly just Teen Mom," Ty Lee retorts, shrugging as she withdraws rainbow gel pens from her sparkly pink backpack. "Maybe you should be on TV. That would be amazing!"
Mai responds with a slight glare that silences any other questions.
She looks down at the herbal tea that she does not know if she can have or not. Mai thinks she is not supposed to have coffee, but she has not really bothered with figuring out how to be good at… good at pregnancy.
Azula has a strong latte; Ty Lee has a sugary mocha.
They all are too predictable.
"So," begins Azula, and Mai looks down at her notes, "let's get started, shall we?"
Mai lies down on her sofa, wrapped in three blankets with her head on the stacked couch pillows. She looks at the largest television in the house, better than the one in her room, and tries to lose herself in Sunset Boulevard.
"You don't look well," says her mother, surprising Mai. "Are you feeling okay?"
Mai hesitates, wondering how much she should say. She decides to just dryly reply, "I feel like I'm dying. It's horrible."
That does not have to mean that she is pregnant. Her mother will likely not guess it, since Mai does not have a boyfriend. Zuko has sent her several texts that she has not read, as her phone is just out of reach and she thinks she will hurl if she stretches.
He probably wants to be her boyfriend, which would not be awful for her future. Still, Mai has much more interest in his father than him. She wants to be with the father of the baby, but she does not at the same time. She knew he was married and illegally older when she got into it and she would not press for change after getting knocked up.
"Do you want to go to the doctor?" mother airily asks, sitting down on the armchair. Mai can see her in peripheral vision, but stops trying to look when she begins to feel queasier. "Maybe you should see someone."
"I don't need to go to the doctor," Mai states.
"You could have an infection," insists mother. "It doesn't look like a cold, now does it?"
"Stomach bug," Mai shortly replies. She does not think she can say more than two words right now. "It's not a big deal."
Her mother picks up her daughter's phone from the coffee table. She flicks through the texts; Mai cannot scrounge up the energy to protest.
"That Zuko boy wants to go to the beach with you tomorrow after school. You should go with him. He's good for you."
"He's rich, his dad's a business contact and you want to schmooze through me."
"So? You could have fun at the beach."
"I hate the beach," mutters Mai but she thinks she will take Zuko up on his offer. She cannot just play him for one night, even if that would be enough to create a plausible lie. "I'll go to the damned beach with him."
"Good." Mother smiles, her artificially whitened teeth sparkling in the golden afternoon sunlight. "I'm sure you'll have fun."
"Doubtful," murmurs Mai, returning her attention to the television.
Her mother is humming happily when she leaves the room.
Maybe her parents will not be as angry about the pregnancy as she thought.
Mai brings Azula and Ty Lee with her; Zuko brings Katara. The beach is crowded today, and feels overcrowded by the three guests invited to Mai's date with Zuko.
"So… Katara?" Mai asks, gazing at the girl who looks at home wading in the ocean. Mai sits beneath an umbrella, slathered in sunscreen, hiding from the light.
"I told my dad I was going with her to the beach, so she came to pick me up. He told me I'm not allowed to date you, but I don't know why he cares or what he can do about it," Zuko says, lying down on the sand. Mai is glad she is so good at hiding her emotions.
Does she have emotions about this? She does not want to think about the possibility.
"That sucks," Mai says calmly, still staring at the ocean.
"Can I kiss you?" asks Zuko, sounding hasty.
Mai looks up at him. Her amber eyes meet his golden ones. They look like his father's, except softer. Mai tries not to think about it.
"Whatever. Yeah," she replies, which is probably not the romantic response he was hoping for.
Zuko leans in and kisses her on the lips.
There is not a spark or any warmth for Mai, but he feels the strong surge of attraction and burning, searing, white hot heat.
"They're looking away now," says Zuko as he leans back.
Mai does not understand at first until she remembers her lie. Oh, right, her pretend vengeance against Azula and Ty Lee.
Of course, Azula looks slightly sick, while Ty Lee's eyes sparkle from excitement and not just the sunshine.
They probably can't wait until it is late enough for Mai to tell Zuko about 'his' baby.
"It's been like three weeks," Ty Lee complains, capping her glittery purple pen. "Like three weeks. Can you not like tell him yet?"
Mai rolls her eyes. "I don't know why you care so much about my personal life."
"Because you're my best friend. Uh, second best friend. Can there be a tie? I like you and Azula almost the same," Ty Lee prattles, which makes Mai roll her eyes. "You so need to tell Zuko. He's been trying to go on dates with you for like three weeks and you keep saying no and you're going to ruin everything if you don't hurry up."
"I'm not ruining everything. I just don't want to go out with him." Mai sighs. "He's not allowed to date me anyway."
"And he's allowed to get you pregnant?"
"Oh, absolutely not," says Mai. "But I don't really care."
Ty Lee giggles.
It is Ty Lee's lucky day, because that day after school Mai's mother takes her hostage in the car after picking her up. Click. She locks the doors, as if Mai is going to jump out of a moving vehicle to avoid the doctor's office.
"We're going to the doctor. I'm worried about you," says her mother, adjusting her sunglasses. She lets go of the steering wheel and they nearly veer off of the road. Mai holds back the vomit rising in her throat.
"When have you ever been worried about me?" Mai asks, rubbing her eyes. She hopes this does not go as poorly as it probably will.
She cannot handle the idea of the doctor breaking the news to her mother so early.
Mai is not prepared yet.
"Who's the father?" screams her mother.
Mai knew this would happen. She just knew her mother would start breaking things. The woman pretends to be such a cute former beauty queen, but she cannot handle the idea of her family's reputation being tarnished.
Is that why Mai wants to keep it? Is she going to have a baby out of pure spite for her parents?
"I've only slept with one person. Zuko," Mai says, crossing her arms and sitting down. "I'm as shocked and scared as you are, but you beat my emotions out of me so…"
"Zuko?" Her mother freezes.
Mai waits for fireworks of some sort.
She is not disappointed.
"I'll tell him or whatever." Mai rolls her eyes, which makes her mother gnash her teeth.
"No. I will call his parents," says her mother.
Mai's stomach drops.
She did not think about this scenario.