Chapter 25: All Night Long

After their rendezvous, the spent the night apart.

After all, there was no need to feed the rumors. They could spend a night apart, and many more nights, too. They'd been doing that almost their entire lives. Even if they could only meet when the sun was high in the sky, it would be enough. They would make it enough. They would make it satisfying.

They both went to bed happy and smiling, feeling as though they had the sun in their hearts. Even Shoma noticed that Mai was practically glowing when she got home that night. Neither said anything about it.

Zuko laid in bed for a long time, smiling to himself, his hands crossed over his heart. She loved him, and he loved her. She made him so happy, and he wanted to be with her that night, and the next night, and the night after that. She was beautiful and sweet and passionate. He was the only one who got to see that side of her, and he felt blessed.

All night long he dreamed of her, and she dreamt of him. Sweet, pleasant, wet dreams that filled their heads as the night crept on. Mai turned onto her back, her hands laying crossed over her breast, while she thought of tomorrow.

Zuko had promised that he would come over tomorrow, and she could barely wait.

xoxo

When Zuko walked out of the palace the next morning, he was in the best mood he'd ever been in since he'd come home. As the gateway doors opened, Zuko was greeted by a crowd of people, mostly young women, all of whom delighted in seeing him. Some were blushing, some were laughing, some were even cheering.

Zuko smiled.

"Sir?" said one of the palace servants.

Zuko turned around to see an old servant bowing to him, along with four other holding an empty palanquin on their shoulders.

"Prince Zuko, is something wrong? You didn't take the palanquin," said the servant.

"I'm just going to Mai's house," Zuko said. "It's not far."

"It's not a prince's place to walk anywhere, sir," said the servant with another bow.

Zuko smiled again, and let the servants carry him over to Mai's. She was standing on the front steps, waiting for him. She tried to control her giddiness, and when she saw Zuko, she smiled and waved at him, eager for him to come inside so they could begin their date.

xoxo

Aunt Shoma was absent, but the palace servants wouldn't leave them alone. No matter where they walked, no matter what they did, the servants would stand at the doors waiting on them…and watching them.

Finally accepting that they weren't going to have any real privacy, the two decided to curl up on the couch together, ignoring the servants and speaking in hushed tones. The servants were as still as statues and as quiet as mice, so it was easy to forget about them. Soon, the two were too lost in each other's company to remember that they were even there.

The hours drifted by as the two of them made small talk and innuendos with each other. Mai was giggling and blushing, and it made Zuko so happy to see her that way. Really, Mai was so perfect. What would he do without her?

"I thought about you last night," Zuko told her.

"Really?" Mai asked. When he nodded, Mai smiled and whispered, "I thought about you too."

"I hope they were pleasant thoughts," Zuko said.

"Very," Mai replied. "My dreams are always pleasant when you're in them." She blushed again, looking down at their feet before looking back at him again. "It's also when I sleep the best," she said.

"I like it when you dream about me," Zuko whispered, his breath tickling her neck.

"So do I," Mai said. "You did say that you dreamed about me, right?"

"Yes. Of course," Zuko said. "I, uh…I think I mentioned it first, actually…"

"Oh," Mai said awkwardly, "right." Zuko brushed his lips against her cheek and Mai relaxed again. "What did you dream?" she asked.

"I dreamt about you and me. We were alone and happy, wrapped in each other's embrace, and we were lit by the glow of lava flow as it flowed past us like a river. It was a very romantic dream," Zuko said.

"Lava flow?" Mai asked.

"Yeah…in my dream we were by a volcano, watching it from a distance, and also back in our picnic spot at the same time…" Zuko said. "Dreams are kinda weird. But it was a wonderful dream. You were in it and we were like this."

"Like this?" Mai asked. "You mean wrapped up together, making pillow talk?"

"Yes," Zuko said. "Exactly like that."

"That sounds nice," Mai whispered.

"What was your dream about?" he asked her.

"It was about you. It was a really nice dream," Mai said.

"Anything interesting happen?" he asked.

"Well…to be honest, I can't remember a lot of it. But I know that it was about you, and that when I woke up, I felt really happy," Mai said.

"Yeah, that seems fair," Zuko said. Mai giggled at that.

Mai laid her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. Zuko began stroking her hair, and she smiled. Zuko smiled because she was smiling. Her hair smelled so sweet, like vanilla and sandalwood, and it was so soft and silky. Just like her skin. Just like all of her. He kissed her forehead, and Mai's smile grew wider.

"Mai…?" Zuko whispered after an hour or so had passed.

Mai lazily opened her eyes. Zuko's face swam into focus, and she smiled at him. "Sorry," she said. "Did I fall asleep?"

"I don't think so. You seemed pretty aware of me." Zuko blushed. "You even started blushing when I was…" He glanced at her breast quickly before looking back at her eyes.

"Oh," Mai said. "Well, I was really relaxed then."

"Yeah, most likely,"Zuko mumbled.

"What'd you wake me up for, anyway?" Mai asked.

"I wanted to talk to you some more," Zuko whispered. "I wanted to ask you something."

"What did you want to ask me?" Mai asked him.

"I wanted to ask if you were still awake," Zuko said.

Mai laughed. "Well, if I wasn't, you would have woken me up anyway," she said. "Yes, I'm still awake."

"Good," Zuko whispered, "because I wanted to look into your eyes some more."

Mai smiled and stroked his cheek. He really could be so romantic sometimes. A dorky kind of romantic, but romantic all the same. It made her heart swell to think that she was the one who brought it out of him, the one that made him act like a lover, and a damn good lover at that.

"You're blushing," Zuko said with a smile.

"I've been blushing all day," Mai said. "It's probably nothing new."

"Maybe not, but it's still so beautiful to see you blush," Zuko said.

"Thanks," Mai said sheepishly. She tried to look away and hide her embarrassed smile, but Zuko put his hand to her cheek, and turned her head to look him in the eyes.

His beautiful, golden eyes. Mai could get lost in them. Her lips parted as he leaned in, pressing a quick, innocent kiss to her lips. But Mai could tell from the intensity in his eyes that he wanted more than just innocent kisses. But the servants were there, and Zuko didn't want to embarrass himself in front of them.

Outside, night was starting to fall.

He felt so lazy, having spent the entire day on the couch with his girlfriend, but at the same time…he'd spent the whole day with his girlfriend. He sighed, looking out the window. He decided that when he went back to the palace, he would walk. Even if it was a short distance, he needed to stretch his legs.

"You okay?" Mai asked him, pulling him back to the present. "You look troubled."

"I'm not troubled," Zuko replied. "I'm with you."

Mai smiled and blinked. She ran her hand down his chest, then back up against, resting it against his heart. Could the day get any better?

Well, yeah. The servants could leave so they could actually be as romantic as they wanted. So they didn't have to crouch down on the couch in hopes of getting some privacy.

"Mai?"

"Hm?"

"Tell me, if you could have anything you want right now, what would it be?" Zuko asked.

"Hmm," Mai thought. She hadn't eaten in hours, so food was the first thing that came to her mind. "A big, fancy fruit tart, with rose petals on top."

"You know, being a prince and all, I might just be able to make that happen," Zuko said.

Mai giggled again. "That would be impressive," she said with a smile.

Zuko leaned up off the couch. "Do you think you could find a fresh fruit tart for the lady? With rose petals on top?" he asked the servants.

They both bowed. "An excellent choice sir," said the elderly one. The two servants walked out of the room, going to inform the kitchen staff.

Zuko settled back down on the couch and Mai cuddled back up to him.

"I guess there's some nice perks that come with being royalty," she said. "Though there's annoying stuff, too. Like that all-day war meeting coming up."

"War meeting?!" Zuko said, jumping up. "What are you talking about?!"

"Azula mentioned something. I—I assumed you were going, too" Mai said, unsure what to say. She could just see the dark clouds gathering over his head and the hurt in his eyes.

"I guess I wasn't invited," he said.

"Zuko…" Mai said, reaching out to touch his shoulder. He didn't flinch away from her; he'd barely even noticed that she was there.

"Your fruit tart, miss," one of the servants said as they walked back into the room.

Mai looked from Zuko, to the servants, and back at Zuko. He said nothing, did nothing. He only sat there, glaring at the floor, too lost in his own mind to say anything. Mai didn't know what she could possibly do to bring him out of this mood. In the past, the best thing she could do was to just let it run its course and wait for his mind to clear.

If only she hadn't said anything about that damned war meeting.

Mai got up from the couch and went over to the servants, taking the fruit tart from their waiting hands. The top was so filled with rose petals that some of them fell on the floor as she walked back to him.

She gave Zuko one last look before she began eating.

xoxo

It was past midnight when Zuko finally laid back down again.

The moon was high in the sky and the servants were almost asleep. Mai had long since finished her fruit tart, and she'd tried holding his hand, saying his name, even rubbing his shoulders to get him to come out of his dark mood. He'd only turned his head to face her twice before returning his gaze to the floor.

"What time is it?" he asked Mai quietly.

"I'm not entirely sure," Mai said. "It's late, I know that. Did you plan on going back to the palace tonight?"

"Why bother? It's not like anyone's going to miss me," Zuko said.

Mai sighed and furrowed her brows. She put a hand on his shoulder again, but the tension didn't leave his body. She tried massaging it, pressing her nails in and rubbing small circles into the muscles. Nothing.

With another sigh, Mai said, "I'll open a window. It's too stuffy in here."

The cool air rushed through the house the second the window slid open. The breeze brought the servants back to full alertness, and it got Zuko up off the couch. He walked over to the window where Mai stood, and leaned on the sill. Mai put her hand over his, but he ignored it.

xoxo

Around two in the morning, Mai excused the servants. They were too tired to insist they stay to wait on them; they bowed low and thanked her for her generosity, quickly heading off to take a nap.

Zuko was still at the windowsill, but he had finally relaxed. The tension in his muscles had melted away into a sluggishness that had him leaning up against the wall and resting his head on the sill.

Mai walked back over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

He looked at her, only for a second, before looking back out at the city.

"It's getting late. I'm tired," Mai said with a yawn.

Zuko nodded, barely, and Mai went back over to the couch. Her eyelids began to droop and her body started to mold itself to the shape of the couch. Zuko still stood there at the window, brooding over the war meeting.

"You should sleep too," Mai said to him. "It will help ease your mind."

"My mind doesn't need to be eased. It needs to know why I wasn't invited to the war meeting," he said.

"Maybe you were, and your invitation was just forgotten," Mai suggested.

"Forgotten?" Zuko asked. "I'm the crowned prince of the Fire Nation. My invitation wouldn't have just been forgotten!"

"Well, maybe there's another reason. I'm sure that your father wants you there. Maybe he thought you didn't need an invitation, because you would show up regardless," Mai said.

Zuko scowled and turned back to the window. He breathed deep, filling his lungs with the fresh night air. It helped to clear his mind and calm his spirit, but he still held that angry uncertainty in him.

It was horrible, feeling unwanted. He felt like a thirteen year old child again, barred from the throne room unless summoned, watching the generals enter the war meetings and wondering what was going on in there. He remembered asking his father about a war meeting, once, and Ozai had said that it was none of his business. It stung back then, and it stung now.

Of course, back then, he didn't have his scar. Nothing had hurt quite as much as his fathering scarring him.

He glanced back at Mai, and saw that she was asleep on the couch. He went and found a blanket and tossed it over her.

"Goodnight," he said stiffly.

xoxo

When Mai woke up, Zuko was gone. She had fallen asleep on the couch, and someone, either the servants or the prince or her aunt, had tossed a blanket over her. The window from last night was still open, and the breeze was making her shiver.

She walked over and closed the window, and went to go get ready for the day. Facing her aunt would be easy. Facing Zuko was what was worrying her.

xoxo

Zuko marched in looking as moody as ever.

"Hello, Zuzu. If you've come for the royal hair-combing, I'm afraid you'll have to wait." Azula said, closing her eyes again as the servants ran their combs through her wet locks.

"So I guess there's a big war meeting coming up, huh? And apparently I'm not welcome there," Zuko said, pouting.

Azula fought the urge to roll her eyes. Honestly, he could be such a child sometimes. How he was the older sibling, Azula never knew, because he certainly didn't act like it sometimes.

"What do you mean?" she asked sweetly. "Of course you're welcome there!"

"Oh yeah?!" Zuko shot back. "I guess that's why no one bothered to tell me about it!"

"Oh, Zuko," Azula said with a sigh, "don't be so dramatic. I'm certain Dad wants you there. You probably just weren't invited because it's so obvious you're supposed to be there."

Zuko thought about that for a second. Maybe Azula was right. Maybe it was supposed to be so obvious, and he was just missing it. Maybe being away from home for so long had made him forget about war meeting formalities. Maybe the royal siblings didn't need need to be invited, because they could enter the meeting as they pleased. Maybe it was because they had a right to be there?

But back when he was thirteen, he had to have his uncle get him into it. And even then, he couldn't talk or do anything really. Just sit there and listen.

And Azula…she was fourteen, almost fifteen.

"Well, were you invited?" he asked her.

"Of course!" Azula said happily. "I'm the princess."

"And I'm the prince!" he snapped.

"Exactly!" Azula said, pointing a finger at him. "So stop acting like a paranoid child. Just go to the meeting," she told him.

"Forget it!" Zuko snapped. "I'm not going!" He turned on his heel and marched out the door.

Azula sighed. Really, why was Zuko so childish sometimes? She closed her eyes again and tilted her head back further into the water. The maid began to pour lavender oil into her hair and massage her scalp. Azula relaxed under her touch; it was soothing enough that she could fall asleep like this.

But then Zuko came marching back in, sheepishly asking, "So when is the next royal hair combing?"

"We will be done treating Azula's hair in another twenty-three minutes, Prince Zuko," the maid servant replied.

"'Kay," Zuko said, and shuffled off.

xoxo

Zuko went back to Mai's house that evening, holding a bouquet of fire lilies and snapdragons. The servants were rushing after him, holding the palanquin, wanting to ask him why he had walked to Mai's house. But he had ignored them, marching over the cobblestones and up to Mai's front door.

He pounded on the door, making it rattle on its hinges.

Mai opened the door. "Zuko?" she asked, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "I—I'm happy to see you here. How are you?" she asked nervously.

Zuko pushed the bouquet towards her. "Here," he said. "These are for you."

"Thank…you…?" Mai said, taking the bouquet from his fist. "They smell lovely." The two stood in awkward silence for a minute before Mai stepped aside and said, "Please, come in."

Zuko nodded and stepped inside her house. Just before Mai could close the door, two servants darted in with him. Mai let them shuffle past her with a sigh. She slammed the door closed before any more could rush into the house. Locking the door, she went over to Zuko, who was standing at the threshold of the main room, waiting for her.

"Do you like them?" Zuko asked, glancing down at the flowers in her hand.

"Yes," Mai said. "They're very nice." She gestured to one of the servants, who stepped up to her with a quick bow. "Put these in some water," she told him. He took the flowers from her hand and went to go fetch a vase.

"I wanted to apologize for last night," Zuko said. "I…I was…angry…and upset. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"You didn't," Mai told him. "Sure, you came off a little cold, but…it's understandable."

Zuko nodded and looked down, scowling at the floor. Mai reached out to put a hand on his shoulder, but thought better of it. With a sigh, she dropped her hand back to her side and looked down at his feet.

"Come on," Mai said, touching his arm. "Let's sit down. I'll have tea made for us."

Zuko nodded, still frowning at the floor, and followed her over to the couch. He sat down and propped his elbows up on his knees, his chin in his hands. Mai sat down next to him, scooting close to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. He glanced at her before returning his sight to the table in front of him.

"My Lady?" a servant asked.

Mai turned around to see the servant with a vase full of fire lilies and snapdragons in his hands.

"Where should I set these?" he asked politely.

"Right here," she said, pointing. "Right on the table."

The servant set them down on the table in front of the couple and backed away, bowing quickly before returning to his stance near the threshold of the room. He quietly folded his arms and tried to block the couple out. He should at very least give them some privacy to talk.

"They really are beautiful," Mai said, squeezing Zuko's shoulder. "Did you gather them yourself, or…"

"No. I picked them from the garden. I thought you might like them. They're pretty," he mumbled. He felt Mai give his shoulder another squeeze. He looked over at her face for a minute, seeing her smile at him hopefully. He didn't even try to return the smile, but his frown softened a little.

"I appreciate it," Mai told him.

Turning around, she said, "Will one of you make some tea for us?"

"What kind of tea would you prefer, my lady?" a servant asked.

Mai looked over at Zuko. "What kind would you like?" she asked him. Zuko only shrugged in response. He didn't care at all. He wasn't even thirsty. With a defeated sigh, Mai turned back around and said, "Jasmine. Leave the petals in."

"Excellent choice, madam," he said, and went into the kitchen.

Mai turned back to Zuko, and grabbed his hands. He looked over at her and she grasped his hands and pulled them into her lap. She leaned over to kiss him on the lips, quickly, before pulling away and staring into his eyes. "You smell nice," she said with a meek smile. "You smell like lavender…and…" she leaned in close to him, her nose brushing against his neck as she breathed in his scent, "…sea water."

Zuko blushed as she pressed her forehead against his.

"I, uh, I had my hair done today," he stammered.

Mai touched his hair, which was pulled up into a bun and adorned with a golden, fire-shaped crown. "It's soft," Mai said, smoothing her hand over his head. "And smells nice, too," Mai said, her lips traveling over his neck.

"Thanks," Zuko said. "You…uh…you smell nice too," he said with a sheepish smile. "Is it, like, um…perfume?"

"Yeah," Mai said. "Something like that."

Zuko nodded.

"Your tea, miss," said a servant, bringing in a platter of cups and a steaming tea pot. He set them on the table next to the flowers. Mai nodded and dismissed him with a wave of her hand; he took his place next to the other servant, standing on either side of the room's threshold.

Mai started to pour the tea, but Zuko stopped her before she could pour him a cup. "I'm not thirsty," he told her.

"You sure?" Mai asked him.

He nodded.

Mai sighed and slumped her shoulders. She set the teapot down and picked up her own cup, slowly sipping the scalding tea. She grimaced as her throat burned. "Are you sure you don't want any?" Mai asked again. "You can even put honey in it?"

Zuko shook his head, no. "I said I'm not thirsty," he snapped.

He got up from the couch and marched over to the window, throwing open the panes and leaning onto the sill. Mai slumped against the couch as she watched him. He looked so hurt, and it was just killing her inside that there was nothing she could do. She could only try to help him, but she knew that he would never take her help, or even worse, her pity.

Mai looked down into her teacup, swirling the tea around before sipping some more.

"Could we have a moment?" Zuko asked, turning around to face the servants.

"Of course, sir," they said in unison, bowing quickly before shuffling out the door.

Mai looked at him, surprised. Zuko walked back over to her and sat down on the couch, taking one of her hand in both of his. It was hot from the teacup, and her pressed a quick kiss to it.

"Zuko?" Mai whispered, hoping that he had come out of his dark mood.

"What?" he asked her.

"Are…?" she looked down at their hands, and gripped his tighter. "Are you feeling better?" she asked him quietly.

Zuko sighed and shook his head no again. "No. But I don't want to bring you down with me. Maybe I should leave."

"No, don't!" Mai told him, grabbing his hand so hard that her nails bit into his skin. "I want to have you here."

"Why?" he asked. "Why would you want me here? No one else seems to want me."

Before Mai could respond, he turned away from her, pulling his hands away. Mai's nails left scratches on his hands. He started pouring himself tea, hoping that it would soothe him. His uncle had always told him that tea was soothing for the soul…or something like that. He hoped his uncle was right.

But then again, his uncle had been right about most things.

"Zuko…"

He looked back up at her, his teacup in hand. "Yes?" he grumbled.

"Let me tell you something," she said, setting her cup down. She took his hand in both of hers, and held it on her lap. Zuko waited quietly as Mai paused, wondering what she was going to say. "Zuko," she began, "when you were gone during those three years, people missed you."

"You missed me," he said.

"Yeah. I missed you, I'll admit that. But I wasn't the only one. Before my family left for Omashu, people would talk about you—"

"Of course they did!" Zuko hissed, looking out the window.

"Let me finish!" Mai snapped at him, tugging on his hand. "People would talk about you. They would wonder when you were coming home. They would hope for you to return, safely and with the Avatar in chains. They wanted you to come home. People wanted their prince back. They would all say it, at some point or another. The Fire Nation was incomplete without its prince."

Zuko scoffed. He didn't believe a damn word she had said. "I know you're just trying to make me feel better," he grumbled. "It's not working."

"I'm telling you the truth, Zuko," Mai said. "It used to drive Azula mad. People just weren't satisfied with only having the second born still crowned."

"Really?" Zuko asked, arching an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound too likely."

Mai sighed. "I don't know what I could say to make you believe me. Just know this; I know that people all across the Fire Nation were hoping that one day you would come back."

Zuko swallowed the rest of his tea, and then began pouring himself another cup.

"Wait," Mai said, standing up, "I think my uncle might have some proof."

"Wait? What?" Zuko asked, puzzled by her statement.

Mai didn't respond. She got up off the couch and walked up the stairs, Zuko getting up and chasing after her. "Mai?" he asked, but she just kept walking up. Up and up until she made it to the top of the house, where the sunroom was located.

Mai crouched down and began digging through old boxes full of documents that had piled up along the wall. "Where is it, where is it?" she grumbled to herself as she searched through box after box of old, boring documents, only to have to fling them to the side when they came up empty.

"What are you looking for?" Zuko asked her.

"I'm looking for…" Mai began, before she dug out another box and began rifling through its contents. "This."

She straightened and walked back to Zuko, holding a rolled up scroll out to him. Zuko took it and began unrolling, looking from Mai to the letter and then back at Mai.

"Go on," Mai said, crossing her arms impatiently. "Read it."

"It's from your uncle," Zuko said.

"I know," Mai said. "He was writing a letter to the Firelord about your banishment, but Aunt Shoma told him to burn it. If he'd sent it, he'd probably have been banished with you."

Zuko sat down and began to read.

"Firelord Ozai:

"I am writing to you about the banishment of your son, Prince Zuko, First of his Name, Crowned Prince of the Fire Nation and all lands under its command.

"Your decision to banish the Prince after the Agni Kai was a poor decision, due to the fact that you will be depriving the Fire Nation of it's true and rightful heir. I do not mean to insult the Princess Azula, nor any titles she may bear, but Prince Zuko is necessary for the Fire Nation if we are to continue to make the Fire Nation the greatest nation on Earth…"

Zuko put the letter down. He couldn't read any more. He tossed the letter aside, letting it crumple on the stone floor.

"Do you feel any better?" Mai asked him.

"No," Zuko said. "I feel worse."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because…I just…I just do…" Zuko said, putting his head in his hands.

"I didn't want you to feel worse, Zuko," Mai told him, sitting down next to him. "You should feel better. My uncle wasn't the only one who…"

"Mai, please," Zuko said, "I know you're trying to help, but I just need you to stop talking. Just for a while. Please?"

Mai felt like she'd been ripped open with one of her own daggers. She looked away, blinking the pain away from her eyes, and walked over to one of the windows; she couldn't bear to look at him right now.

"I'm sorry, Mai. I didn't mean it like that."

"Whatever," she snapped.

"I deserve that," he said with a sigh.

"I'm going back downstairs," Mai told him. She didn't even bother to give him one last look, she just stomped back down, leaving him alone in the sunroom.

xoxo

Mai came back up to the sunroom an hour later, holding the flower bouquet he had brought her.

"Hey," she said softly.

Zuko looked at her, but said nothing. His scowl was gone, but he still looked unhappy. Mai set the flowers next to him on the table, and sat next to him on the seat. The letter her uncle had written was still rolled up in front of Zuko.

"I'm sorry for earlier," she said.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Zuko said.

"I know I don't. But I still feel bad about earlier," Mai said. She reached over to the vase and pulled out a single fire lily, holding it out to him. "Can we get past this? I don't want you to be ignoring me."

Zuko took the flower from her hand, but Mai put her other hand over his, keeping their hands together. Zuko looked up at her; her eyes were dark as she looked at him from beneath her bangs, but he could perfectly read them. He gave her a soft smile, trying to make the gloom disappear from her face.

"Come back downstairs with me," Mai told him. "I've got fresh tea waiting for us…and some more fruit tarts…with rose petals, even."

xoxo

Zuko leaned on the windowsill, looking out at the dark city covered by night. Mai came up next to him, still smelling of tea and roses. She put a hand on his shoulder, massaging his neck for a second before speaking.

"Zuko, it's just a dumb meeting. Who cares?"

"I don't," Zuko said.

Mai knew it was a lie, but she still said, "Well, good. You shouldn't." Zuko still wouldn't lighten up. "I mean, why would you even want to go? Just think about how things went the last meeting you went to."

Mai winced once she'd said the words. She shouldn't have brought that up. She just shouldn't have brought that up.

But Zuko only sighed. "I know," he said sadly.

"You know what will make you feel better?" Mai asked him. Zuko turned his head to look at her. She smiled and said, "Ordering some servants around! I might be hungry for a whole tray of fruit tarts!"

Still, he didn't smile.

"…And maybe a little palanquin ride around town? Double time?" she said.

When Zuko still didn't respond, she put her hand to his cheek, turning him so that he could look at her. She softly smiled, looking at him hopefully. But he pulled away from her, making Mai let go of him. Her brows furrowed, her heart dropped, and her eyes were starting to feel painful again.

She blinked and took a deep sigh.

"If you want…you can stay the night," Mai told him. "I can have the guest room made up for you. Or you can…"

She glanced at the door. There wasn't a servant in sight.

"Or you can stay in my room. If you want to. I just thought it might be a little nicer than going back to the palace." Mai paused. Zuko still didn't look at her.

With a heavy sigh, she walked away.

"The invitation still stands," she said as she began to climb the stairs.

In the end, Zuko ended up staying at Mai's place all night long. He just couldn't face anyone other than her that night.