Maiko Month 2013 Prompt 3: Lust
Rating T: for some heavier making out. Nothing explicit.
Chapter 10: Lust
She doesn't remember exactly how it happened.
One moment they're enduring Azula and Ty Lee's pestering remarks, tempers running short, and the next moment they're storming out of the royal dining hall. Now they're out in the palace gardens, kissing next to the fountain. Sometime in between that sequence of events, Zuko lost his left shoe, Mai misplaced her vest, and half of her hair had come undone.
She's reveling at how his hands feel like fire on her skin and how he moves with a certain type of hunger, as she snakes her own hands into his hair. Her eyes flutter open as he tilts her chin up, deepening the kiss –and they stay open.
Two beady eyes grab her attention and she catches sight of a turtle-duck as it floats, unmoving, on the surface of the water; it looks particularly disgruntled by the show they've put on. Instantly, she becomes aware of the warm afternoon sunlight, the smell of spring hanging in the air, movement in the gardens as a couple of butterflies peruse the flowers, and how out-of-place their current activities seem to be.
"Zuko," she murmurs in between kisses. Finding it difficult to deliver the last part of her statement, she's tempted to give up and give in to the heat of the moment. This reluctance is quickly remedied by a pair of eyes and an impatient ruffle of tail-feathers.
"Zuko," Mai repeats, this time pulling away. "We're out in the open. In broad daylight," she shifts uncomfortably.
"So what?" he mumbles in reply. Unable to gain access to her mouth, he moves down her neck, sucking and biting, tasting the salt from the sweat collecting on her skin.
Her eyes roll back, but she catches herself, focusing on the uncomfortable feeling of being watched. She drops her arms from his torso, choosing to let them hang limp at her sides. Zuko pays this action little attention, taking it as an opportunity to pull her tighter against him.
Glancing around the palace garden, she's adamant not to make eye-contact with their spectator. She's thankful for the fountain as it drowns out the sounds of Zuko going at her neck. They're probably quite the spectacle.
If only Ty Lee and Azula could see us now, she muses to herself.
"Come on, Zuko," she says with a tinge of annoyance, "We need to stop."
His reply is almost completely incoherent, though it's something to the effect of, "I need you." Mai frowns, unsure of whether to be amused or agitated. His hands begin to bunch up the fabric of her dress at her hips, and she pushes them away only for Zuko to move them up to her waist. Mai stands there, at a loss for what to do next.
She's enduring Zuko's roaming hands when the idea strikes her. It takes a large amount of effort to hold back a smile as she feels the anticipation growing inside her.
The hand at the small of her back travels lower, and the hand on her stomach slides higher, curving into the swell of her chest. Mai sighs, rolling her eyes. And mistaking her sigh for pleasure, Zuko's movements grow faster, eagerly pulling her in to him.
She struggles to slide her arms between them, placing her hands on his chest. Then she bends her head down, urging him up to deliver a searing kiss. He smiles, convinced that he's finally gotten her in the mood. They continue on like this for a moment, before Mai travels to the underside of his jaw. She does her best to mimic the enthusiasm he displayed earlier. He groans as she makes her way to his earlobe.
"I think," she whispers, her lips grazing his ear just so. She's pleased when she elicits a shudder, pleased that she has him wrapped around her little finger. Her hands stop roaming his chest, "that you need to cool off."
A panicked series of quacking follows the splash of Zuko tumbling into the water.
"HOW MANY TIMES AM I GOING TO END UP IN A FOUNTAIN?!" Zuko bellows as he attempts to shake an infuriated turtle-duck off of his shirt.
He looks absolutely ridiculous: glowering and sopping wet, his bottom lip jutting out like a child. Mai can't help but laugh and she throws him a saccharine smile before turning to leave. She gasps when she's grabbed by the forearm, Zuko dragging her in with him.
She gasps and sputters, struggling to climb out, but Zuko grabs a hold of her wrists, looking her straight in the eyes.
"What was that for!?"
Mai stares back at him, and Zuko feels himself shrinking away as he recognizes the glint in her eyes to be the same one she wears in the thrill of combat.
She dives in, kissing him full on the mouth. It's the kind of kiss that makes his head spin. His grip on her slackens, and before he realizes it, she's made her escape, scampering away.
This time, he is the one to sigh. Grumbling as he picks himself up, he chases after her.