#19: On Freud and Fingernails
Prompted By: GuitarBOSS

Zuko and Azula walk through the hall after a painful audience with former generals demanding more compensation. Azula lashed them pretty well, Zuko has to admit, the girl has a tongue like a shirshu. Now, defeated, they walk towards the living quarters of the palace.

"Wait; I hear talking," Azula murmurs, seizing Zuko's muscular arm and forcing them both against a door. It is to a small parlor that was little used when Azula was a child, and is now actually lived in by the royal family.

"We can't just─"

"Shut up about your morality," Azula whispers lightly, pressing her entire slender form against the heavy wooden door. "They're talking about you, brother..."

It feels like a trap, but Zuko caves in. Any insight into Mai he is greedy for, which Azula finds absolutely hilarious. They are both pinned against the door, eavesdropping. Azula feels like a little kid listening in on war meetings again.

"Is it normal that he talks about his mother so much after sex?" Mai sighs as Azula sucks in air to keep from laughing. "No, really. It's kind of disturbing."

"Mai, you're the female figure in his life because his mom abandoned him. Just accept it," Ty Lee responds, the smile in her voice audible.

"So... he thinks he's screwing his mom when he's screwing me..." Mai says, accentuating her words with another sigh. "That's not disturbing to you? And he has such low sexual self esteem. Like he always has to ask how he's doing and it just... I don't know... I don't even know."

Azula is shaking with silent giggles as Zuko's face is as red as his scar.

"It's not that bad. Do you at least enjoy yourself?"

"Of course. If I wasn't enjoying sex with him I would be having like ten affairs by now," Mai sighs yet again. "He's not altogether disappointing. Just the mom thing ─ bleck."

Silence. Azula and Zuko's muscles tense as they hope Mai and Ty Lee aren't about to burst through the door.

"It's not that bad," Ty Lee says sweetly. "Have you seen Azula's fingernails?"

And Zuko smirks. Azula smacks him on the back of the head and he winces.

"Like, I think she thinks it's sexy. But just, just, feel, Mai." Silence. Mai makes a choking sound. "Yeah, just imagine that but longer. It feels like cold talons of death on my tits."

'Cold talons of death' Zuko mouths to Azula and she purses her lips.

"Yet, you love her," Mai says, sounding bored by the fact. "And I love Zuko. Why did we do this? Why did we not see the crazy and escape? Why do we stay up all night with night terrors and deal with insane ordeals and ugh Ursa? We should've run for the hills as soon as the war ended."

"Probably. Maybe we just got so used to the insanity that our lives don't feel complete without it," Ty Lee offers blithely and Mai sighs again.

"We are so fucked up." Silence. Mai chortles. "Cold talons of death."

Before Azula and Zuko can react, the door opens. They stumble back several feet as Mai and Ty Lee walk out.

"Oh, you guys are done," Ty Lee says brightly as Mai narrows her eyes.

"What were you two doing?" Mai inquires, crossing her arms.

Zuko's lips open and close for a moment. "Azula! Tell Mai what we were doing."

"Just passing by," Azula says softly, smirking. She wraps her arm around Ty Lee's thin waist and starts walking down the hall. "Oh, but Zuko was eavesdropping on your conversation. I told him not to."

Ty Lee giggles.