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storypaint) wrote2015-02-16 09:40 am
storypaint) wrote2015-02-16 09:40 am
Entry tags:
[Avatar: The Last Airbender] her very frowns are fairer far (Mai/Zuko)
Title: her very frowns are fairer far
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Length: 484 words
Prompt: fic_promptly: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Mai/Zuko, "why do you keep running for the door? do you think my arms are broken?"
Pairing: Mai/Zuko
Other: n/a
Excerpt: Mai's mother was always telling her that she was a delicate little flower, but Mai was pretty sure that just because she'd grown breasts, it didn't mean she couldn't open her own doors. Zuko seemed to be measuring out all of his words, not that he'd gotten any better at choosing them, and their friendship had become, quite frankly, dull.
Zuko started getting weird sometime after they both turned twelve. Well, he'd been strange before, but this was a different kind, full of blushes and stuttering and sometimes just running away. Male role models were pretty thin on the ground for him, so Mai wasn't sure where this was coming from, but she didn't like it.
At some point the way she looked at him had changed as well, but she was better at pretending that hadn't happened. Zuko wasn't just Azula's little brother anymore. He stood as tall as he could, practiced his firebending for hours on end, and began to open doors for her.
Mai's mother was always telling her that she was a delicate little flower, but Mai was pretty sure that just because she'd grown breasts, it didn't mean she couldn't open her own doors. Zuko seemed to be measuring out all of his words, not that he'd gotten any better at choosing them, and their friendship had become, quite frankly, dull.
After another painful afternoon of pleasantries she got up to leave with a grateful sigh and Zuko practically raced past her to grab the door. She stopped in her tracks.
"Shut the door," she said.
Zuko blinked. "What?"
"I said, shut the door," Mai repeated. Zuko did, and then he stood there with his hand on the frame, waiting.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her irritation rising.
"I don't know," he said. "What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to sit down and quit holding doors for me and pulling out my chair and all those other stupid things. What is this, the Age of Dragons? I can take care of myself, Zuko." Her fists were clenched at her sides. Zuko was staring at her as if he'd never seen her before and was trying to figure out who she was.
Mai sighed, and then again for good measure.
"Do you remember when you climbed that tree and me and Azula threw acorns at you until you cried?" she said, crossing her arms.
Zuko looked down like he didn't want to remember that moment, but he nodded.
"And you remember when Ty Lee tripped on the fountain and hurt her ankle and you had to carry her back up to the house?" she continued. "And how about when we all sneaked out after dark to see if we could find a ghost fox and your uncle caught us and helped?"
"Yes, of course," Zuko said. "What's your point?"
"My point is, we both remember each other being idiots, so there's no point to getting all formal about it. Now, get out of the way," Mai said. He stepped back from the door and Mai was able to touch the frame, unimpeded by his helpfulness.
She leaned over and kissed his cheek before she left, because it was about time for that to happen too.
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Length: 484 words
Prompt: fic_promptly: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Mai/Zuko, "why do you keep running for the door? do you think my arms are broken?"
Pairing: Mai/Zuko
Other: n/a
Excerpt: Mai's mother was always telling her that she was a delicate little flower, but Mai was pretty sure that just because she'd grown breasts, it didn't mean she couldn't open her own doors. Zuko seemed to be measuring out all of his words, not that he'd gotten any better at choosing them, and their friendship had become, quite frankly, dull.
Zuko started getting weird sometime after they both turned twelve. Well, he'd been strange before, but this was a different kind, full of blushes and stuttering and sometimes just running away. Male role models were pretty thin on the ground for him, so Mai wasn't sure where this was coming from, but she didn't like it.
At some point the way she looked at him had changed as well, but she was better at pretending that hadn't happened. Zuko wasn't just Azula's little brother anymore. He stood as tall as he could, practiced his firebending for hours on end, and began to open doors for her.
Mai's mother was always telling her that she was a delicate little flower, but Mai was pretty sure that just because she'd grown breasts, it didn't mean she couldn't open her own doors. Zuko seemed to be measuring out all of his words, not that he'd gotten any better at choosing them, and their friendship had become, quite frankly, dull.
After another painful afternoon of pleasantries she got up to leave with a grateful sigh and Zuko practically raced past her to grab the door. She stopped in her tracks.
"Shut the door," she said.
Zuko blinked. "What?"
"I said, shut the door," Mai repeated. Zuko did, and then he stood there with his hand on the frame, waiting.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her irritation rising.
"I don't know," he said. "What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to sit down and quit holding doors for me and pulling out my chair and all those other stupid things. What is this, the Age of Dragons? I can take care of myself, Zuko." Her fists were clenched at her sides. Zuko was staring at her as if he'd never seen her before and was trying to figure out who she was.
Mai sighed, and then again for good measure.
"Do you remember when you climbed that tree and me and Azula threw acorns at you until you cried?" she said, crossing her arms.
Zuko looked down like he didn't want to remember that moment, but he nodded.
"And you remember when Ty Lee tripped on the fountain and hurt her ankle and you had to carry her back up to the house?" she continued. "And how about when we all sneaked out after dark to see if we could find a ghost fox and your uncle caught us and helped?"
"Yes, of course," Zuko said. "What's your point?"
"My point is, we both remember each other being idiots, so there's no point to getting all formal about it. Now, get out of the way," Mai said. He stepped back from the door and Mai was able to touch the frame, unimpeded by his helpfulness.
She leaned over and kissed his cheek before she left, because it was about time for that to happen too.