Sister
54. Sister
By the third time Mai and Zuko broke up, Katara had come to expect the late night knock on her door. The fourth time, she even sent for the wine to be brought to her quarters ahead of time, to spare the fire lord the indignity of sneaking in to his own cellars, as they'd had to do last time to renew their supply. The knock on her door came at exactly nine-o-candle. Katara opened the door, adopting the proper expression of condolence, which didn't last long once she saw that it was Mai, not Zuko, who was standing outside.
“Lady Mai? Um, can I help you?” said Katara.
“I need someone to talk to, and since you're unlikely to have a political angle, you're it,” said Mai, brushing past Katara. “He comes here, doesn't he, when we're having trouble? The servants say you get drunk together, and they hear you laughing.”
Katara crossed her arms. “Yeah, Zuko comes here. What about it?”
“How do you make him laugh?” asked Mai.
“What?”
“He never laughs with me,” said Mai. “It should be perfect, the two of us. I've loved him since I was a little girl, and the passion is there.” She paused, blinked. “I think that's the first time I've said it.”
“Said what?” asked Katara. She seated herself on one of the floor cushions and motioned for Mai to do the same.
“That I... you know,” said Mai.
“Are you that afraid to say it again?” said Katara.
“I love him.”
“I know.”
“And I want to be there for him,” said Mai “I want to be there with him, really there, but it's been so long...”
“So long since what?” asked Katara. She was trying to imitate Gran-Gran's expression from when she'd gone to her with her feelings and private griefs, but inside she was panicking. She had no idea where this was going, and she felt, despite the fact that Mai had come to her, that she was taking advantage of the other girl.
“Since I acted on my feelings without considering the consequences. For me, for my father, for my family. I want to just *be* and I can't.”
Katara looked away. Nothing in Mai's expression matched the turmoil she had just revealed, but it felt indecent to look at her when she was exposing herself emotionally like this.
“Would you-- do you want some wine?” asked Katara.
“Sure,” said Mai. “Why not?”