3 - Blood

Mai was just about to get out of the bath when the Fire Lord arrived for a visit.

Fortunately, unlike some of the visits he'd made to her in the past, he didn't show up by crawling through her window wearing a blue demon mask. If he had tried that this time, she might have been forced to actually kill him, and she really didn't want to be thrown in a royal dungeon while she still had responsibilities at the flower show.

So when Aunt Mura knocked on the bathroom door and hissed to throw on some clothes and get downstairs now because the Fire Lord was sitting in their parlor (and he hadn't brought The Clingy Girl), Mai was free to slip while leaping out of the tub, run around trying to figure out where she'd left her towel, stop and tell herself that she didn't need to be flustered because Zuko was her ex-boyfriend and she didn't want to change that status, rush out to her bedroom, put her knives on backwards, put her clothes on backwards, and remind herself that this was her ex and he could just wait for her to get dressed properly.

She arrived in the parlor (properly dressed, hair still damp) to find Zuko sitting down with a cup of tea. "Fire Lord, thank you for gracing my home with your royal- aw, no bodyguards? I was hoping for Ty Lee."

Zuko put his tea down and stood up with all the grace of a komodo rhino. "If you want to keep addressing me by my title, I know I deserve it, but you can consider your point made."

"Have I, now? That's good to know." She thought about making a comment about him getting it quicker than she expected, but a moment's pause let her realize that the thought was in Azula's voice, and she let it go as needlessly cruel.

Zuko brought his hands together and bowed to her at the waist. "I apologize for ordering you to stay with me. You were right to break up with me, after the secrets I kept from you. I thought that if I could just explain things better, you wouldn't leave, and- I picked the worst possible way to handle your walking out." He let out a heavy breath. "If it helps, I said so immediately after you left the room. Suki can confirm it."

This was unexpectedly promising. Not that Mai appreciated having to wait almost two years to get an apology, but at least she had it now. "Why do you think I was right?"

He rose, his body much more relaxed. "Because I lied and kept secrets. Even- even if you don't want to take me back, I promise I'll never do that again." He reached out and grabbed her hands, wrapping them in his own. "I won't hurt you. Not anymore."

Oh.

Wow.

He didn't really understand at all.

"Duly noted." Mai yanked her hands free. "Why are you here?"

He blinked, and the stiffness returned to his form as he took a step back from her. "I- uh, I thought you might have gotten the wrong impression from- from earlier. My cousin-"

Mai couldn't keep herself from making a noise of annoyance. "Whatever. It's fine, Zuko. I really don't care what's going on with Pangfua, or if anything at all is going on with anyone."

Zuko shook his head. "A year ago I didn't have any family but a sister who hates me. Then there was everything with my Mother, and I got a new little sister who thinks I know everything! But- but you know I don't. And six months ago Aunt Zuzka reached out, bringing that whole branch of the family back with their political power and expertise, and- and now I have a very friendly cousin who likes to sew flowers on my robes- but there's still something missing."

Mai raised an eyebrow. "This is a lead-in to hitting on me again, isn't it?"

From the staircase, Mai heard Aunt Mura bark a laugh.

Zuko's shoulders slumped. "I still miss you. More every day. Especially when Pangfua won't let go of my arm."

Mai snorted, putting on a show of indifference even as the very idea had her stomach roiling. "Yes, I noticed that she's very possessive. Whether that's because she's happy to have a new cousin, or if she just wants close ties to the supreme ruler of the Fire Nation, is beyond my political acumen." She thought about warning Zuko about Zuzka and that whole branch of the family, but decided not to complicate things. Suki and Ty Lee would have mentioned it, at least. No point in redundantly disparaging The Clingy Girl. "Why not tell her to be a little less physically affectionate?"

Zuko immediately got a hunted look on his face. "I can't do that!"

He was scared of a teenage girl.

Zuko was lightening up.

But then, they all were. Before the Boiling Rock, Mai wouldn't have been able to recognize her own jealousy. She wouldn't have been able to forsake that jealousy and resist the temptation to disparage Pangfua to Zuko.

Whether that was growing up, or just a form of healing, was another thing beyond Mai's understanding. "I'm sorry you still miss me, Zuko, and I appreciate your apology. I miss you, too, but nothing has changed. I'm not interested in being together anymore."

"Why not?"

Mai shook her head. "I don't know how to explain it without being awful. Please, just accept what I'm saying? For now, at least? I really don't want to have to juggle everything for the flower show with you hounding me for another chance. With Mother away, it's just Aunt Mura and me, so-" She shrugged. Zuko didn't really care, and neither did she.

He sighed. "Okay. I'm sorry to bother you. Please thank your aunt for the tea." He turned to leave-

And Aunt Mura stepped into the parlor. "Oh, are you going already? Your presence in my home was an honor."

Zuko managed a smile for her. "The honor is mine. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Mai- she- I'm glad she has family like you."

Mai finally found herself able to display her own small smile. "She's my favorite aunt, even if she did reply to my asking to freeload here with an offer of room and board in exchange for throwing flowers at people."

Auntie gave her a mock scowl. "How many times have I told you? Only throw the flowers if the customers have paid for express delivery! You see, Fire Lord, what a troublesome apprentice I have?"

Zuko actually chuckled. "She's always been my favorite kind of trouble. She never let me get complacent. I can see why you value her enough to make her a real apprentice."

Mai's stomach churned again. Some girls liked to spin fantasies about weddings and babies and adventures with their lovers, but Mai's daydreams had always involved jamming knives into Ozai's eyes and beating up Azula until she agreed to never hurt Zuko again. Mai had wanted to be Zuko's champion, and even got to play the part temporarily at the Boiling Rock. She thought she'd get the chance to help him become the greatest Fire Lord in history with her knives and sarcastic wit-

And then she'd left him alone.

For a good reason.

But he was still alone.

She found herself dearly hoping that Zuzka and Yuying and even Pangfua were being honest with their allegiance. Zuko deserved some good family. (And everything she'd heard about Ursa had Mai highly suspicious.) She just couldn't provide that herself.

Zuko moved to go-

-he looked so lonely-

-and Mai said, "I need to get some dinner for Auntie and I, anyway. Why don't I walk with you for a bit?"

Aunt Mura gave a clap of her hands. "Yes, some Pang's Glorious Take-Out sounds good! But I'm not so hungry that you kids need to hurry. Take your time!"

Good ol' supportive Aunt Mura. "Just give me a minute to find a hat I can stuff all this hair into."

Zuko immediately brightened. "It looks nice, hanging down like that."

"No, it doesn't. It's tangled and still wet. You just think I look nice because I'm back in dark clothes."

"You didn't look bad, earlier, but-" Zuko shrugged. "Pink that bright doesn't really go with your complexion."

Mai smiled. "Exactly! See, everyone else tries to lie to me about that."

The dumbest possible smile came over Zuko's face. "I'll never lie to you again. Not by words, not by omission."

Now, instead of her stomach giving her trouble, her heart seemed to be skipping beats. Stupid body. To cover it up, Mai gave a toss of her hair and said, "Eh, you're just so used to seeing my hair done up that this probably looks amazingly erotic to you. It's a wonder you can form words."

She left to find a hat before anyone could react, but she heard Zuko's squeak and Auntie's groan all the way down the hall.

And of course it turned out that the only path to Pang's Glorious Take-Out took Mai (in a tasteful head-scarf) and Zuko straight through the Love Festival that was bumming attention off the flower show.

"My Aunt Mura," Mai declared as they passed onto a moonlit lane lined by local merchant stalls, "is using her intelligence for evil."

Zuko snorted something like a laugh from beneath the hood he was using to hide his face. "If this is the worst I'm manipulated during this whole thing, I'll consider it a good week."

"No doubt."

They emerged into a torch-lit public park, which was apparently being devoted to festival games. People in masks flitted about, trying to identify which mask might be hiding their lover before gambling their pride and safety with a kiss. Roving groups of Hunters chased individuals wearing hats with stuffed fox-doves on top of them, hoping to shove the hatted quarry to the ground and win the game with a forced kiss to claim them for the rest of the festival. Lovers tied back-to-back sparred with bamboo blades against other couples to see who would win the tournament and claim the grand prize of a special good luck charm. And newlyweds explored the festival with bundles of cheap smoke-roses in their arms, tossing flowers to solitary individuals with wishes of finding love in the future.

It was all fairly tedious and uncomfortably aggressive, just like most of the Fire Nation's celebrations.

"And here I thought," Mai said, "that the flower show would protect me from having to experience this nonsense."

"Do you like it?"

Mai turned to Zuko and quirked an eyebrow. "Hm?"

He leaned so that he could look at her from beneath his hood. "Working with flowers, I mean. I- I never would have expected you to stick with it this long."

Mai could only nod. "Me neither. But Auntie started telling me I'm actually good at it, arranging the things so that they have meaning and eye appeal. It's not as exciting as fighting for my life, but- well, there's no war anymore. Fighting is going to be an increasingly troubled way to make a living."

A group of Hunters, mostly girls, stampeded across their path, chasing a laughing boy with a stuffed orange bird on his head. Mai led the way around them, passing into the shadow of a large tree that loomed over the center of the park.

Zuko said, "It must be nice, to be good at something that people actually appreciate."

Mai considered it. "If you say so. I've never really worried about it."

They were silent for another long moment, nearing the edge of the tree's shadow. Then Zuko cleared his throat and pushed his hood back a little. "Do you- uhhh-"

"Do I what?"

"I- I came tonight to clear things up about Pangfua, but- I never thought until now to ask you- if you- I mean, there was Kei Lo-"

Mai blinked. "That was his name! Thank you. I keep forgetting."

Zuko looked at her like he wasn't sure if she was joking. (She wasn't sure either.) "But, if there's someone else-"

Mai stopped just short of the shadow's end. "Are you asking me if I have a little fan holding onto my arm all day? Or if I've been doing a little of that, myself?"

Zuko took another step, emerging into the light of the torches keeping the festivities going in the dark, and then spun and stood to face her. "Both, I guess."

Mai looked him right in his eyes, one pale and one scarred. "No. Just because I don't want to be with you- it doesn't mean it's easy to want to be with someone else."

He nodded. "And you've tried."

"I have."

They stood. Staring at each other.

And then a couple hurried by with ash-roses in their arms. The woman spotted Zuko, and must have missed Mai in the shadows, for she took one of the roses and threw it to him.

Zuko caught it in the air without shifting his gaze. "Do you want me to try, too?"

"Maybe you should." She looked at the rose in his hands. "Does it hurt?"

He grimaced under his hood. "It has since the day you left."

"No, I mean-" Her voice caught, and she had to force it to return to say, "The rose wasn't trimmed properly. Did the thorn stick you?"

Zuko looked to his hand and opened it to reveal the ash-rose and the single thorn that the florist must have missed. It glistened red with his blood, and there a small gash right in the palm of his hand.

Mai reached out-

Zuko said, "I don't even feel it, compared to- um-"

Mai froze. She lowered her hands and sighed. "Good night, Zuko. I'll probably see you at the show, tomorrow."

She walked away, leaving him standing in the light with the rose in his hands.

She got all the way home before she realized that she forgot about dinner.

TO BE CONTINUED