Avatar: And When the Gauntlet's Down: Chapter 6
Title: And When the Gauntlet's Down
Rating: M (for uh... kinky foreplay. Please be cautioned.)
Characters: Mai/Zuko
Summary: Mai attempts to confront Zuko, though he has other ideas.
A/N: This is another chapter from me "Zuko as a crazy assed Fire Lord" soap opera AU, more information which can be found out in this entry here.
This chapter is a standalone, set a couple months after Chapters One and Two, which puts Zuko at 24 years of age. Mai and Ty Lee have settled in at the Fire Lord's palace as his wives.
Chapter 6 - These are Just a Couple of My Cravings
The upside to being one of the Fire Lord’s favored wives was the privilege of knowing his schedule; Mai had only been waiting behind the door for a few moments when the knob began to rattle and the door slowly swung open. She had a half-second to confirm the red scar and the long black hair in the dim lantern light of the hallway before she moved, her knife the only thing gleaming in the darkness as it rested against the Fire Lord’s throat. The door banged shut as he stiffened in surprise.
“My lord has been dipping into the vintage wines again,” she said softly, her warm mouth breathing the words into his ear. “Otherwise he would not allow himself to become so lax.”
“I was escorted back to this room, you know,” he said just as quietly, his body automatically relaxing under her arms once he identified her.
“Yes, it is very unusual for one of the Fire Lord’s wives to greet him in his bedchamber. I doubt they’ll be rushing in to save you.” Her grip on the knife tightened, trying to prevent herself from shaking. “I could easily do it, you know.”
“And you also could have easily done it the last three times you’ve ambushed me in here,” he countered easily. Zuko did not sound annoyed; instead he sounded almost amused, as if he enjoyed the deadly little games that one of his favorites liked to indulge in.
Despite the fact that she was used to his taunts, his words hit the target and the knife slipped; she didn’t realize at first but a moment later warm blood seeped between her fingers, loosening her grip on the hilt. She knew it was nothing significant by the fact that he hadn’t lost his temper; he’d probably done worse shaving and would explain away the mark as such.
It was a sign of just how much he favored her that she was even allowed to have the knives in the first place. Most of his wives lived quietly in their assigned living quarters; neither making eye contact nor protesting when their night with Lord Zuko came up in the draw. Mai and Ty Lee, on the other hand, as his right and left hand, were granted the rooms farthest from his and given some legitimate free range through the palace.
It was a knife’s edge they balanced on together: Mai and Ty Lee pretended to be loyal; Zuko pretended to trust them. They were both well aware of the guards who watched a little too closely as they went about their duties and the servants who tended to rifle through their drawers while cleaning out their bedrooms. It was worth it, however, to turn a blind eye to these things in order to keep the access they currently had to the Fire Lord in return.
Zuko was silent as Mai took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing nerves and bring herself back into control of the situation. One hand lifted from his shoulders and came up to her mouth; she could make out the dark streaks running down her hand. Zuko’s head turned slightly at her action, curious to see what she would do. Her tongue darted out, flicking against the pad of her thumb and drawing that strange metallic taste that she knew so well into her mouth.
“I know of many who would pay an entire room filled with gold just for a vial of this blood - any sign to know that my lord is vulnerable in some way,” she murmured, leaning forward, her cheek touching his, while tensing the arm still holding the knife at his neck. Zuko, as usual, did not show any reaction.
“Most of them live right in this palace,” he responded, turning slightly in her arms and ignoring the blade and the threat of her slippery hold. Before she was even fully aware of what he was doing - either he had gotten faster or her own reflexes had slowed - his arm had traveled up under her own and come to rest at the back of her head; his fingers threaded through the thick black strands and pushed her forward, her lips crashing against his open mouth in a hot, possessive kiss that stole all her concentration and caused her to completely forget about the knife in her hand; there was little to no protest when Zuko’s other hand came up to his throat and tugged the blade from her hands, throwing it somewhere across the room. Some part of her that was still conscious heard the thick twang as the knife embedded itself into wood - probably a piece of the priceless antique furniture that filled the room - but was way beyond caring as Zuko gripped her arms and started dragging her towards the bed.
The edge of the bed hit her at the knees, and she stumbled back, landing softly on her back with Zuko pressing down on top of her. One knee nudged between her legs, and he finally broke the kiss and moved down her neck, leaving a trail of kisses from her jaw line down to the hollow of her shoulder.
He had one hand above her head, bracing himself while the other hand traveled up her side and tugged at the ties of her dressing gown, carefully pulling the edge up and away, allowing the silky material to pool at her sides. Her hands curled into the sheets, anticipating his next move, but instead of untying her bodice he instead moved back up to her shoulders, his warm skin dragging over hers as he shoved one hand roughly down the loose sleeve of her dressing gown.
“Just one knife isn’t your style,” he murmured, a half smirk on his face as his fingers located the dagger at her forearm. With the flick of a wrist it was disconnected from her arm and he drew it from her sleeve, carelessly grazing her skin and leaving a long thin trail of red up above her elbow. She hissed in pain and looked down at the red stain that was blossoming on the plum colored silk before she looked back up at Zuko, his eyes shining with the same intense light that had always entered Azula’s when she was excited. She wondered why she was thinking of her friend now as she shuddered beneath Zuko, watching as he lifted the dagger to his mouth and repeated the same action that Mai had performed earlier, the knife glinting as he ran his tongue over it and then tossed it away behind him, his gold eyes never leaving her grey ones.
She let out a soft whimper as his head dipped down once again to kiss her. The taste of her own blood was still on his tongue, overwhelming her senses to the point that she didn't even notice that Zuko had gone down her other sleeve to find the knife attached to that arm. The steel was warm, a mark of how heated her own skin had become, and he brushed the broad side lightly over her chest before using the sharp edge to cut the laces that ran up the side of her bodice.
They popped loudly, and she paused to raise an eyebrow at him. "My lord should not ruin his family's fine things."
Zuko didn't spare her a glance, totally focused on peeling the bodice away from her body. "My mother isn't coming back to claim them."
She finally stopped him, pushing his shoulders and sitting up slightly. Zuko rocked back onto his knees, arms crossed, watching intently as Mai shrugged out of her dressing gown. Before she could grab the bodice, however, he batted her hands away and pulled it away himself, flipped it over and running his hands over the inlaid silk. He found what he was looking for quickly; the hem of the hidden pocket caught his fingers and he dipped in and tugged out the hidden dagger. His brows furrowed as he looked at it and then held it up for her inspection.
"Is this from my private stores?"
She said nothing, letting her silence speak for itself. He snorted in amusement, not at all upset that she had been into his private weapons stash as he contemplated the emeralds in the hilt.
"This was a birthday gift from the king of Ba Sing Se. The greeting was signed from his pet bear."
A dangerous look crossed his face; one of nostalgia and remembrance. It was the same look he usually got when he received updates from his plants on the movements of the Avatar and the Earth Kingdom army. It usually led to long stress-filled, candle-lit, often-violent nights as Zuko kept himself as busy as possible to prevent himself from dwelling on tainted memories. A shot of panic went through her, and in desperation she reached up and cupped his face in her hands before drawing him down for another hungry kiss, meant to both distract him and put his mind back on track.
She completely ignored the fact that she was so far off track she couldn't remember her original purpose for coming into his bedroom in the first place. It was as if she expected a different outcome every time she met him here, as if the undeniable magnet that always drew her to him could somehow be overcome and ignored.
Her hands curled in the lapels of his jacket pulling him even closer, crushing his body against hers. Then, desiring to feel his skin against her, she pushed at the jacket, trying to get it off of him. He sat back once again to remove it, giving Mai time suddenly to remember -
The servants tiptoeing around and whispering all morning. The more reverential than usual treatment of Zuko by his advisors. The jealous muttering amongst the lesser wives.
The jacket was off and he was pressing against her again, the heat between them growing more and more intense with each passing moment. She rocked hard against him and then reached between them to pull at the ties of his trousers. When he paused to untie them completely, Mai was given another moment -
Ty Lee. Ty Lee coming to her in the morning, with bruises on her arms and hips. Ty Lee, crying through breakfast and through their morning service to Agni. Ty Lee, curling up in her bed, arms wrapped around her midsection, unsure of how to act or how to feel.
She remembered why she had originally come to confront Zuko, just in time for his hips to meet hers once again, for another wave of heat to wash over her. His head dipped down again, and she smiled smugly against his lips.
One of her hands wrapped around him, holding him against her and giving her enough purchase to twist slightly underneath him. Zuko gave a muffled, approving groan at the extra pressure as Mai hooked one leg around his. Her other hand reaching around to the small of her back to grasp the hilt of the last small knife that Zuko had missed…
She ran her tongue over her lips and then placed a chaste kiss against Zuko’s lips. “I’m ready when my lord is.”
Rating: M (for uh... kinky foreplay. Please be cautioned.)
Characters: Mai/Zuko
Summary: Mai attempts to confront Zuko, though he has other ideas.
A/N: This is another chapter from me "Zuko as a crazy assed Fire Lord" soap opera AU, more information which can be found out in this entry here.
This chapter is a standalone, set a couple months after Chapters One and Two, which puts Zuko at 24 years of age. Mai and Ty Lee have settled in at the Fire Lord's palace as his wives.
Chapter 6 - These are Just a Couple of My Cravings
The upside to being one of the Fire Lord’s favored wives was the privilege of knowing his schedule; Mai had only been waiting behind the door for a few moments when the knob began to rattle and the door slowly swung open. She had a half-second to confirm the red scar and the long black hair in the dim lantern light of the hallway before she moved, her knife the only thing gleaming in the darkness as it rested against the Fire Lord’s throat. The door banged shut as he stiffened in surprise.
“My lord has been dipping into the vintage wines again,” she said softly, her warm mouth breathing the words into his ear. “Otherwise he would not allow himself to become so lax.”
“I was escorted back to this room, you know,” he said just as quietly, his body automatically relaxing under her arms once he identified her.
“Yes, it is very unusual for one of the Fire Lord’s wives to greet him in his bedchamber. I doubt they’ll be rushing in to save you.” Her grip on the knife tightened, trying to prevent herself from shaking. “I could easily do it, you know.”
“And you also could have easily done it the last three times you’ve ambushed me in here,” he countered easily. Zuko did not sound annoyed; instead he sounded almost amused, as if he enjoyed the deadly little games that one of his favorites liked to indulge in.
Despite the fact that she was used to his taunts, his words hit the target and the knife slipped; she didn’t realize at first but a moment later warm blood seeped between her fingers, loosening her grip on the hilt. She knew it was nothing significant by the fact that he hadn’t lost his temper; he’d probably done worse shaving and would explain away the mark as such.
It was a sign of just how much he favored her that she was even allowed to have the knives in the first place. Most of his wives lived quietly in their assigned living quarters; neither making eye contact nor protesting when their night with Lord Zuko came up in the draw. Mai and Ty Lee, on the other hand, as his right and left hand, were granted the rooms farthest from his and given some legitimate free range through the palace.
It was a knife’s edge they balanced on together: Mai and Ty Lee pretended to be loyal; Zuko pretended to trust them. They were both well aware of the guards who watched a little too closely as they went about their duties and the servants who tended to rifle through their drawers while cleaning out their bedrooms. It was worth it, however, to turn a blind eye to these things in order to keep the access they currently had to the Fire Lord in return.
Zuko was silent as Mai took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing nerves and bring herself back into control of the situation. One hand lifted from his shoulders and came up to her mouth; she could make out the dark streaks running down her hand. Zuko’s head turned slightly at her action, curious to see what she would do. Her tongue darted out, flicking against the pad of her thumb and drawing that strange metallic taste that she knew so well into her mouth.
“I know of many who would pay an entire room filled with gold just for a vial of this blood - any sign to know that my lord is vulnerable in some way,” she murmured, leaning forward, her cheek touching his, while tensing the arm still holding the knife at his neck. Zuko, as usual, did not show any reaction.
“Most of them live right in this palace,” he responded, turning slightly in her arms and ignoring the blade and the threat of her slippery hold. Before she was even fully aware of what he was doing - either he had gotten faster or her own reflexes had slowed - his arm had traveled up under her own and come to rest at the back of her head; his fingers threaded through the thick black strands and pushed her forward, her lips crashing against his open mouth in a hot, possessive kiss that stole all her concentration and caused her to completely forget about the knife in her hand; there was little to no protest when Zuko’s other hand came up to his throat and tugged the blade from her hands, throwing it somewhere across the room. Some part of her that was still conscious heard the thick twang as the knife embedded itself into wood - probably a piece of the priceless antique furniture that filled the room - but was way beyond caring as Zuko gripped her arms and started dragging her towards the bed.
The edge of the bed hit her at the knees, and she stumbled back, landing softly on her back with Zuko pressing down on top of her. One knee nudged between her legs, and he finally broke the kiss and moved down her neck, leaving a trail of kisses from her jaw line down to the hollow of her shoulder.
He had one hand above her head, bracing himself while the other hand traveled up her side and tugged at the ties of her dressing gown, carefully pulling the edge up and away, allowing the silky material to pool at her sides. Her hands curled into the sheets, anticipating his next move, but instead of untying her bodice he instead moved back up to her shoulders, his warm skin dragging over hers as he shoved one hand roughly down the loose sleeve of her dressing gown.
“Just one knife isn’t your style,” he murmured, a half smirk on his face as his fingers located the dagger at her forearm. With the flick of a wrist it was disconnected from her arm and he drew it from her sleeve, carelessly grazing her skin and leaving a long thin trail of red up above her elbow. She hissed in pain and looked down at the red stain that was blossoming on the plum colored silk before she looked back up at Zuko, his eyes shining with the same intense light that had always entered Azula’s when she was excited. She wondered why she was thinking of her friend now as she shuddered beneath Zuko, watching as he lifted the dagger to his mouth and repeated the same action that Mai had performed earlier, the knife glinting as he ran his tongue over it and then tossed it away behind him, his gold eyes never leaving her grey ones.
She let out a soft whimper as his head dipped down once again to kiss her. The taste of her own blood was still on his tongue, overwhelming her senses to the point that she didn't even notice that Zuko had gone down her other sleeve to find the knife attached to that arm. The steel was warm, a mark of how heated her own skin had become, and he brushed the broad side lightly over her chest before using the sharp edge to cut the laces that ran up the side of her bodice.
They popped loudly, and she paused to raise an eyebrow at him. "My lord should not ruin his family's fine things."
Zuko didn't spare her a glance, totally focused on peeling the bodice away from her body. "My mother isn't coming back to claim them."
She finally stopped him, pushing his shoulders and sitting up slightly. Zuko rocked back onto his knees, arms crossed, watching intently as Mai shrugged out of her dressing gown. Before she could grab the bodice, however, he batted her hands away and pulled it away himself, flipped it over and running his hands over the inlaid silk. He found what he was looking for quickly; the hem of the hidden pocket caught his fingers and he dipped in and tugged out the hidden dagger. His brows furrowed as he looked at it and then held it up for her inspection.
"Is this from my private stores?"
She said nothing, letting her silence speak for itself. He snorted in amusement, not at all upset that she had been into his private weapons stash as he contemplated the emeralds in the hilt.
"This was a birthday gift from the king of Ba Sing Se. The greeting was signed from his pet bear."
A dangerous look crossed his face; one of nostalgia and remembrance. It was the same look he usually got when he received updates from his plants on the movements of the Avatar and the Earth Kingdom army. It usually led to long stress-filled, candle-lit, often-violent nights as Zuko kept himself as busy as possible to prevent himself from dwelling on tainted memories. A shot of panic went through her, and in desperation she reached up and cupped his face in her hands before drawing him down for another hungry kiss, meant to both distract him and put his mind back on track.
She completely ignored the fact that she was so far off track she couldn't remember her original purpose for coming into his bedroom in the first place. It was as if she expected a different outcome every time she met him here, as if the undeniable magnet that always drew her to him could somehow be overcome and ignored.
Her hands curled in the lapels of his jacket pulling him even closer, crushing his body against hers. Then, desiring to feel his skin against her, she pushed at the jacket, trying to get it off of him. He sat back once again to remove it, giving Mai time suddenly to remember -
The servants tiptoeing around and whispering all morning. The more reverential than usual treatment of Zuko by his advisors. The jealous muttering amongst the lesser wives.
The jacket was off and he was pressing against her again, the heat between them growing more and more intense with each passing moment. She rocked hard against him and then reached between them to pull at the ties of his trousers. When he paused to untie them completely, Mai was given another moment -
Ty Lee. Ty Lee coming to her in the morning, with bruises on her arms and hips. Ty Lee, crying through breakfast and through their morning service to Agni. Ty Lee, curling up in her bed, arms wrapped around her midsection, unsure of how to act or how to feel.
She remembered why she had originally come to confront Zuko, just in time for his hips to meet hers once again, for another wave of heat to wash over her. His head dipped down again, and she smiled smugly against his lips.
One of her hands wrapped around him, holding him against her and giving her enough purchase to twist slightly underneath him. Zuko gave a muffled, approving groan at the extra pressure as Mai hooked one leg around his. Her other hand reaching around to the small of her back to grasp the hilt of the last small knife that Zuko had missed…
She ran her tongue over her lips and then placed a chaste kiss against Zuko’s lips. “I’m ready when my lord is.”