One thing Mai and Zuko had in common was that they hated the cold. He complained bitterly, she sighed and pulled her cloak more tightly around herself. Even within the confines of her room they could still feel the cold aftermath of the wind stinging their faces.
"Why couldn't those kids have found the Avatar stuck in a rock?" Mai asked. "Then we'd be in the Earth Kingdom where it's nice and warm."
"Because the universe hates me, that's why," Zuko grumbled.
"Zuko, don't start with that again." She rolled her eyes. "If it hates you, then it hates me too. And possibly your uncle. Remember? In this together?"
"But it was my job, personally, to find him. You just-"
"I wanted to help," Mai cut him off, sitting down on the bed and curling up against his side, "we wanted to help. I know life hasn't exactly been fair to you, but going off on a self-pity trip every half hour isn't going to make it any better."
Zuko smiled a little, wrapping an arm around her.
"You want to know a secret?" he asked.
"What?"
He closed his eyes for a moment, leaning his head against hers.
"Sometimes I wish I could say screw destiny, forget what my father wants, let the Avatar go free," he sighed. "Just...travel the world with the only two people who still care about me. Everyone else sees a shamed, banished prince, but not you and Uncle."
Mai snuggled closer, resting her head on his shoulder.
"That sounds nice," she murmured. "I could get used to something like that."
Zuko gave a weak chuckle, pulling a blanket over the two of them.
"Maybe we'll get lucky and my father will suffer a memory loss."
"Zuko!"
"I know, I know, terrible thing to say about my own father."
But deep down, they both knew he meant it a little.