Interface
Chapter 10: Comings and Goings
The train station was quiet that evening. Iroh and Zuko had already said their goodbyes, so hung back, letting Mai and her mother have a few moments alone. Tom-Tom was over-tired and irritable but excited at the same time, bouncing on his toes as he waited for the passenger train to approach the platform, screeching and grinding to a stop. The sheer force and power of the vehicles staggered the little boy. He loved trains.
Mai knelt down in front of him and pulled him close while she had the chance. "I'll come and visit you soon." He looked so damned adorable in his miniature jeans and tiny t-shirt that featured his favorite cartoon character, cute little sneakers on his feet. And he appraised her with that unflinchingly honest gaze of his, gold eyes seeing so much though he was only three.
"K, Mai." He took his sister at her word, didn't give them any further thought, before twisting out of her arms so he could better watch for the train.
Mai stood up again and gave her mother a sidelong glance. Things with her had been up and down and all over the place during the past few days. Akira had shown sparks of genuine caring and Mai had almost enjoyed her company a few times. But more frequently, it was the same old discord. If Mai didn't agree with absolutely everything, she was labeled rebellious and contrary. If Mai didn't adhere to her mother's specific modes of behaviour and living, she was deemed a failure. Her hard work and her independence, the fact that she had found happiness, didn't seem to matter much to Akira. Perhaps time would soften her mother's viewpoint, and her own as well. Mai wasn't foolish enough to believe that all the conflict between mother and daughter was Akira's fault.
She felt Mai's eyes on her and turned about to look at her head on. "I don't enjoy when we argue Mai." The woman shrugged. She was unsure how to make amends or reach out to her daughter. "You have a life here in Sapporo and you're supporting yourself, so I suppose that I have no say in what you do any longer." She sighed then. "You've never listened anyway. Perhaps I envy you your independent spirit, Mai. You have courage. I always did what was expected of me." Akira reached out and touched her daughter's arm. "I'm glad that you're happy. Every mother wants that for her child. Zuko seems like a fine young man. Just be careful."
"I don't like arguing either. But I'm not going to follow whatever formula you have for a successful life. I need to find my way in my time."
"I'll do my best to remember that."
That was the closest to acceptance Mai was likely to get from her mother. "I'll try to get home for a visit, maybe during festival week."
Every year in December, the rainy season over, the Fire Nation celebrated with a week of festivals. Little children lived for those days and the thought of her and Zuko taking Tom-Tom was strangely pleasing. They could see the celebrations through his fresh eyes, all things wondrous and magical once more. Mai made a mental note to tell Zuko later.
"That would work; let me know. Your father misses you, Mai."
"Then why doesn't he call?"
"He's busy. You know how much pressure he's under." Akira gave her daughter a warning glare.
"Busy, yeah." How much effort did it really take to pick up a phone and speak to Mai for a few minutes? Her relationship with her father wasn't as fraught with conflict and tension as the one she had with Akira. But he was distracted much of the time, though affectionate and supportive when he remembered that he had a daughter. Mai felt that familiar ache inside, the one that never went away altogether. It clawed at her heart with cruel talons, tearing tissue, rupturing. Her features were immovable, though. She shoved the pain away and focused on her brother instead.
The train was close now. They could all hear the rush and the force of it coming at them like some terrible doom. Tom-Tom grabbed hold of his mother's skirt, bunching the fabric up in his fists. "Train comin', Momma. Train comin', Mai." He quivered with anticipation and by the time it entered the station and had stopped at the platform, the boy was jumping up and down. He giggled with delight. "Look, Mai."
"I see." She picked Tom-Tom up and gave him one last hug before setting him down.
Akira pulled out her tickets, took her son by the hand and grabbed hold of her small suitcase. Both hands occupied she couldn't embrace Mai. The young woman wondered if her actions had been deliberate. No matter; it would have been awkward anyway.
"So, um, goodbye, Mai; thanks for having us." It was something you would say to a distant relative you rarely saw or an acquaintance; but not your one and only daughter, your first born child. Akira gave Mai a faint smile and reminded her to call.
"Bye, Mom." She gave her brother a wave. "Bye, Tom-Tom."
Mai watched until the train left the station, Tom-Tom's little face and hands pressed hard against the glass.
~~~~0000~~~~
The silence of her apartment hit her hard when she opened the door and put on the living room light. Her mother and brother had only spent two days with her, but Mai had quickly grown accustomed to sharing the space, hearing Tom-Tom at play, his breathing while he slept, the shower running and someone else in it.
She loved her space and her solitude, everything hers and everything in its proper place, but a little company didn't go amiss once in a while either. Her thoughts turned to the house Iroh planned to purchase and convert into a tea shop, the house she would live in if everything went according to plan. And Mai got excited.
She undressed, putting clothes in the laundry hamper, before slipping into comfortable pajamas. She put the kettle on, grabbed her favorite mug and then stared at her collection of teas. Playfully, closing her eyes, she ran her fingers along the pretty little boxes, and let randomness decided the flavor.
"Oolong," she declared when she let her hand settle and opened her eyes again.
Komoku wandered into the tiny kitchen and meowed plaintively, rubbing up against Mai's legs. That sound always pierced Mai's heart like some velvet arrow. She bent over and stroked the cat, talking quietly to her. When the water boiled she brewed her tea and brought the mug out to the living room. She curled up in an armchair, tea at the ready, glasses on and book in her lap.
A pleasant hour passed and while Mai enjoyed what she read, she found herself thinking about Zuko every few paragraphs.
"Give up!" Mai slammed the book shut and decided to get ready for bed instead. "Maybe I'll dream about him." That thought was more than a bit titillating. She smiled to herself as she turned out the lights and headed into her sparsely decorated bedroom. Pulling the covers back, she crawled into bed with a satisfied sigh. Mai hadn't realized quite how exhausted she was. Dealing with people, especially people she didn't get along with, brought with it its own type of fatigue. It wasn't the sweet physical exhaustion she felt after a long walk or a full day of cleaning. This tiredness was a miserable weight, huge rocks on her shoulders, and pressure in her head, pain behind her eyes.
She closed those weary gold eyes and summoned up images of the firebender, his shy smile, the nervous way he shuffled from foot to foot, the warmth and kindness in his eyes and that look he got when he saw Mai, like a light was turned on inside his head, making him seem brighter and happier and awestruck. She did that to him, her being, her presence. Mai never imagined anything so thrilling or empowering. And she wondered too what expression she wore when Zuko entered a room she occupied, or stepped into her space, meeting her gaze, touching her, kissing her.
Thinking those thoughts, Mai sank deep into slumber and didn't awake again until the strident sound of her alarm pulled her back up from the depths.
~~~~0000~~~~
There were a few shipments to unpack when Mai arrived at work the following morning, brand new books, DVDs and CDs. She got a childlike joy from opening packages, some remnant from birthdays past perhaps. Mai was more inclined to believe she simply liked the feel of new books especially, all those crisp, unread pages, smooth and clean, perfect covers without a mark. They smelled good too and Mai brought each one close to her nose so that she could inhale that special scent.
"Less smelling, more working," Maho prodded snidely.
Mai clenched her jaw and choked down the nasty reply she so wanted to make. She glanced about the still closed library and spotted Sadako. The older woman waggled her finger comically at Mai, warning her to behave. Mai had to bite back a laugh then.
With all the items unpacked and stacked neatly on the counter, Mai began to mark everything as library property. The books got stamped inside their front covers while Mai used a special marker for the discs. Everything labeled and packaged properly, she checked to see which of the new items had been put on hold by some eager patron.
"All of them," she mused.
That taken care of, it was time to open the doors and let people inside. Sadako wandered over to the doors with Mai.
"How was your Sunday?"
"Um, it was good. Iroh showed us a place downtown that he wants to buy and convert into a tea shop. And my mother and Tom-Tom went home. I'll miss my brother."
Sadako laughed at her friend's omission. The doors open, the morning rush of patrons crowded by them. "And Zuko?" She gave Mai a friendly poke.
"He's…." The young librarian stared down at the perfect floor tiles and searched her brain for the best words. None of them seemed to fit. None of them described with any accuracy her feelings for the firebender. And part of her wanted to keep those feelings to herself, hoard them like a chest full of sparkling treasures, hidden somewhere safe and far away.
"Yes? He's what?"
"He's…." Mai chewed on her lip. "He's the best thing that has ever happened to me." She gave Sadako a bland sort of stare. "Does that satisfy your insatiable curiosity?"
"No, I was hoping for juicier details." The woman laughed, a sound that never failed to put a smile on Mai's face, and then gave the young woman a quick hug, not caring about Maho and her reaction. "You deserve this. I'm happy for you." Then Sadako moved in closer and whispered in her ear. "But I want details later."
"Iroh's coming to check out the library today; maybe I'll need details." Sadako was speechless in the wake of Mai's news and her wicked smirk.
~~~~0000~~~~
He wandered in after lunch, wearing a deep red shirt, green feathered birds with orange beaks splashed across the material. Mai waylaid him on the way to the information desk.
"Hello, Iroh." Her greeting was warm and genuine. "Have a look around. It's not much, but it's ours. I can't really talk." She inclined her head toward Maho. "She's my boss and she's a bit on the rigid, miserable side."
"Oh she is?" That was a challenge right there. Not many people were immune to Iroh's natural charm. "We'll see about that. Just give me a few minutes."
Sadako was busy at the circulation desk. Mai pointed to Iroh and then to Maho. She sidled off into the stacks then, close enough to watch and listen.
Iroh cleared his throat and put on his cheeriest smile. "Excuse me, ma'am; I'm new to Sapporo and this library. Is there any way I could get a little tour?"
Maho looked up from her computer screen, her mouth already turning downward in a frown. Iroh shuddered a bit. He wondered why such a sour woman was there to welcome people and answer questions.
"We don't do tours." She gestured around the small library, making it very clear that Iroh's request was imbecilic. "If you need help finding something, though, ask me or one of our other people. We wear tags like this." She held her staff tag out for Iroh to see and then looked up, meeting the man's gaze. Her expression softened into something resembling a smile and her eyes lost that cold, disdainful look she embraced with such fervor. Iroh shuddered again. Maho wasn't unattractive. But her face was so accustomed to glares and scowls that the smile sat there, uneasy and fragile, like a fledgling about to take flight.
Mai was certain that Iroh pouted like some disappointed toddler. "Oh, that's a shame. A tour with you would have been most enjoyable. What man doesn't love spending time with a striking woman such as yourself?" Uncomfortable, but flattered, Maho appraised this bold man once more. She almost grimaced when she took in the shirt. "These birds are rare now. The rain forests once teemed with them. I was lucky to see a few some years ago."
"Oh, uh, yes, they're very bright. Let me call Mai over. She can watch the desk while I show you around."
He was unsurprised by Maho's change of heart. "Ah, Mai, such a special young woman; I can't say enough good things about her."
"You know Mai?"
"Indeed; my nephew, Zuko and she are spending time together. We Tanakas have great taste in the female of the species." He beamed at her then, all innocence.
"Tanaka…" Maho searched her memory. She'd heard of the family, but could this man standing before him be a part of it. Yes, the father, Ozai, had a son named Zuko. Her smile grew wider and she stood up, eager all of a sudden to be extra hospitable. "You don't mean the Tanakas, do you?"
"Yes; I'm Iroh. Ozai is my brother. I'm sure that I can convince him to donate a little money. There's always something a library could use. And me, well, I'd like to write a check before I leave."
"Oh, well, that's very generous of you. How would you like a tour of the entire facility? I'm sure Mai and Sadako can take care of things here." She batted her eyelashes shamelessly. "Just give me ten minutes."
Iroh nodded and watched while Maho tracked down Mai and dragged her by the elbow to the information desk. He sidled down to where Sadako was busy sorting through the returns.
"You must be Sadako. Mai's very fond of you."
"And you must be Iroh. She's very fond of you too." She liked the man already. His voice was rich and warm with an underlying hint of humour and his face was kind. But he was no pushover. That she could detect as well. He could be formidable. "Would you maybe like to get a coffee sometime, or a tea? I guess you're a tea man."
Iroh chuckled. "I am a tea man and I would love that. I'm going back to Capitol City for a few days. I'd like to call you when I get back here." She scribbled down her phone number and slid it across the counter. Iroh reached for it, purposely brushing his fingers over hers. "Thank you, Sadako. I look forward to our date." He stared about him with mock fright. "But now I have Maho to deal with."
"Maybe you can soften her up a little bit or give her a sense of humor. I'm pretty sure she was born without one." Mai's friend clamped her mouth shut tight when the woman in question approached.
"I'll be calling," Iroh promised softly.
Maho whisked the tea shop owner away, giddier than either Mai or Sadako had ever seen her.
"He's good." Mai looked suitably awed.
"I hope to find out just how good," Sadako quipped.
"On that note…" Mai patted her friend on the shoulder before heading back to the information desk, shaking her head and laughing to herself the whole way.
~~~~0000~~~~
Mai stepped out into clean smelling air and breathed deeply. The rain had slowed to a drizzle but the dark, heavy clouds over to the west, moving steadily closer, urged on by a strong wind, would soon dump another deluge on Sapporo. She smiled at the thought. Sleep always came easier when the hypnotic sounds of the rain beating against her windows and pounding down upon the roof accompanied her bed time.
She didn't see Zuko standing on the sidewalk; walked right by him. Her umbrella was up and she had stepped off the curb when he called out to her. Her Monday just got that much better.
"Hey, I didn't think I would see you today."
"Couldn't get you out of my mind; I have a ton of work to do, but I have time for a coffee. Is that okay?" He didn't want to appear demanding or presume anything.
Mai held her hand out and Zuko took it. That was all the reply she needed to give. His heat seeped into her, making its way through skin, deeper and deeper until she felt safe and loved and warm from the inside out.
"How do you do that?"
"What?"
"That thing with your bending; it's like you send your heat into me." Mai's eyes shone and her cheeks were tinted red, like apples just plucked from the tree.
"I don't think about it, really." He sounded almost embarrassed. "It's just, when, you know, when I hold your hand, I want to make you feel good."
"It works. You do."
"Good." He ducked under her umbrella and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
In the coffee shop, they sat by the window and watched the rain, sipping slowly from their cups, savoring the flavor and the warmth.
"Iroh came into the library today." She snorted. "He charmed Maho and that takes some doing."
"He's going back home for a few days. I'll miss him."
Mai nodded. She would miss the old man too. "That house, Zuko, do you really think we'll live there one day?"
"I think my uncle can do pretty much anything."
"It'll be a long time, though." Mai sighed wistfully as she recalled the stately old home and imagined it in all its future glory.
"The best things are worth waiting for." For once Zuko didn't worry about the people surrounding them. He leaned across the table and kissed Mai. "That's what Uncle Iroh always says."
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A/N: I want to thank Private Fire and winterdevils for their consistent reviews and PF for all that extra support she gives 'Interface'.
Hardly anyone reviewed the last chapter and this one is following suit. What happened? Have you lost interest? Feedback is my only way of knowing whether you still like the story, and I'm not getting it. I can only draw one conclusion. You don't like it. *shrug* That makes it hard to stay inspired.