Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or the song "I Get a Kick Out of You" from Anything Goes, music and lyrics by Cole Porter.

Author's Note: Since I just did a chapter for Ty Lee, this seemed like an ideal song for Mai. Warning: drug references in the lyrics! (It's from 1934, don't blame me!)

I Get a Kick Out of You

My story is much too sad to be told,
But practically everything leaves me totally cold.

Bored. It was pretty much Mai's usual state of mind. Every time she thought she was going to be part of something exciting, she was disappointed. Even moving to what she had envisioned as the frontier of the war in the Earth Kingdom turned out to be exceedingly dull. Omashu was a fortified city, excruciatingly safe, and her family had naturally not been allowed to move in until the army had secured it. She didn't know whether they would bother so much about her, but Mai knew that her parents would not have taken her darling baby brother there until they were assured of his safety.

Mai had actually hoped to be present for the occasional uprising of the underground resistance. If her father had permitted her more freedom, she would have hunted them out herself. The rush of blood through her veins was only fleeting, but it was better than nothing.

The only exception I know is the case,
When I'm out on a quiet spree,
Fighting vainly the old ennui,
And I suddenly turn and see
Your fabulous face.

At last, Azula had shown up, and Mai dared to hope once more. Unfortunately, fighting the Avatar's friends had proved to be just as boring as anything else she'd ever done. She had reflected somewhat sulkily that Azula seemed to be reserving the exciting parts for herself, like dueling the Avatar and speaking with Prince Zuko. Still, she had plodded on, reasoning that the situation couldn't last forever.

A smile curved Mai's lips slightly as she regarded the prince himself, leaning against the ship's railing and gazing out to sea. Her patience had paid off in the end, and she'd finally found something that sparked her interest. She and Zuko had kindled a relationship while they were still in Ba Sing Se, and Mai was now almost sickeningly cheerful. For her, anyway.

I get no kick from champagne.
Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all.
So tell me, why should it be true
That I get a kick out of you?

Every time she saw Zuko, Mai's heart leapt. They'd been together for several weeks, and the effects hadn't worn off yet. Unlike wine, or even fire whiskey, which quickly faded from the system (not that they'd ever affected Mai all that much to begin with), this was something lasting.

Mai did not really understand this, but she wasn't about to question it. She'd been waiting all her life for this burning in the stomach, the rush of blood to the face, the rapid beating of the heart. Oddly enough, she didn't even have to talk to him. She could just stand here and observe him all day in complete contentment.

Well, almost complete. She crossed the deck to look in the same direction he was, happy that he allowed her to be this close to him. He seemed to push everyone else away, even Azula. Perhaps especially Azula.

Some get a kick from cocaine.
I'm sure that if I took even one sniff,
It would bore me tremendously, too,
Yet I get a kick out of you.

After taking a few deep breaths of salt air, Mai turned to look at Zuko, observing the sharp profile. He usually preferred to keep her on his right side, so that was where she now stood. She didn't mind his scar (she actually felt that it gave him character), but she respected his wishes.

"What?" he broke the silence at last.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about all of the things I've tried to get some excitement out of my life, and all it took was seeing you again."

"I'm not exciting," Zuko insisted, still staring across the ocean. There was a dullness in his tone that bothered Mai.

"That depends on your point of view," Mai replied lightly, daring to ease up closer to him. He put his arm around her, but she nonetheless felt distance between them.

I get a kick every time I see you
Standing there before me.
I get a kick, though it's clear to see
You obviously don't adore me.

Clearly, the prince was deeply conflicted. Mai had seen this from the first time she saw him in Ba Sing Se, but she had tried to ignore it. She certainly didn't comprehend it. He was finally going home, victorious over the Avatar and the Earth Kingdom. He would soon be welcomed back to the court of the Fire Lord, his father.

Mai had always considered politics to be incredibly boring, having been treated to an inside view of it her entire life due to her father's position. She had also seen little need to concern herself with the progress of the war. Still, she recognized that both of these things were probably contributing to what was bothering Zuko.

But Zuko had restored his honor and standing as heir to the throne. In addition, he had Mai. What more could he possibly want from life? Yet even she sensed that he needed something else, something maybe even he didn't realize. Mai was bound and determined to be whatever that was, but an uncomfortable voice in the back of her mind wondered if she were capable.

I get no kick in a plane.
Flying too high with some guy in the sky
Is my idea of nothing to do.
Yet I get a kick out of you.
I get a kick out of you.

"How do you feel about going home?" Zuko's question caught Mai by surprise. It wasn't something she'd ventured to ask him, and she wasn't sure he would answer her, anyway. His choice of wording was interesting, though. Mai wasn't sure what she really considered to be home.

"I guess I hadn't really thought about it. I've never been one to get attached to a place." She didn't tend to get attached to people, either, except Zuko. She certainly never thought much about her family.

"You didn't have to stay away for three years." Finally, Zuko looked at Mai. His features were held stiffly, so as not to reveal anything, but his eyes were not completely under his control. In them, Mai read the confusion, hurt, and possibly even regret, a mixture of things she could never understand. Her first instinct was to back away, but she fought it, edging even closer instead and putting her arms around his ribcage.

"Well, you're going back now. Enjoy the moment."

Zuko took her advice, kissing her fiercely, desperately. A similar desperation rose up in Mai, but it was replaced by firm determination. Zuko was hers now, and she was going to hold onto him for as long as she could. Even if her heart told her it wouldn't be nearly long enough.

--

Author's Note: I'm sorry, but I'm finding this relationship to be extremely dysfunctional. This story might have reflected that a little bit, though I tried to take it seriously. On the other hand, dysfunctional is probably all Zuko can manage right now, given what an emotional mess he is.

Review responses:

intricate designs: Great! I'm glad you thought so.

joehalo15: Yeah, I know. I'm considering doing a Disney songfic collection, so I'll keep your suggestion in mind for that. I think it could apply to a lot of the female characters!

Aqua Princess of Avalone: I'm not familiar with that show, but I've heard it's very good. I will look into those songs.

Kumori Doragon: Here's another secondary character. I keep wondering when Ty Lee is going to show up again. I guess she's at least supposed to be in The Beach. Man of La Mancha is a good one, and Impossible Dream could certainly relate to Aang. The ones you sent later might work, too.

Aangs fangirl1214: At least somebody found the last one funny. That was kind of the point, but it might have been a little too satirical for some. You and I seem to be on the same wavelength a lot, and that's great!

Wishing Only Wounds the Heart: Camelot's a classic! My brother once played Lancelot. My husband proposed to me while we were working on another production of it – me onstage, him backstage.