Kate and I figured we should get this done, out of the way and taken care of before THINGS occur. :P
[Who:] Zuko & Mai (+ offspring)
[Where:] Mai's room at Orochimaru's place
[When] Yesterday evening
[What:] Because the world is about to end (at least, their world) he felt the dire need to tie up loose ends before he faces his doom. So AFTER A YEAR OF SEPARATION... You can kinda guess what happens.
[Why:] TBR has completely refueled our love for this OTP and Mai is his onetruelove. :3 And plus, it needed to get done.
[Rating:] PG for mild language
Zuko: *knocks on the door to Mai's room* ...Mai? Can I come in....?
Mai: *answers the door* Hey Zuko. Come in...*moves out of the way for him* The twins just woke up from their naps.
Zuko: *smiles* Did they? *goes over to Tai's crib and picks him up* Hey little guy.... *looks at her* Are they doing alright? *looks genuinely concerned*
Mai: They're doing fine...Ursa's picked up a lot on her firebending and Tai's taken a real liking to Orochimaru...he's a pouty little thing...just like his dad...
Zuko: I'm not pouty... *both him and Tai make the exact same facial expression* ... *sighs*
Mai: *gives Zuko an "oh really, now?" kind of face* Of course you're not...how are things with you? The Avatar doing well?
Zuko: He's alright. We all are. *puts Tai down for a moment* *goes over and hugs her* I'm so glad you're safe here, Mai...
Mai: .....*pauses for a minute before hugging him back* Thank you...I'm glad you're safe too, Zuko...
Zuko: *pulls bsck to look at her* I'm so afraid for you... *chews on his lip*
Mai: ...why? What's going on? *worried look*
Zuko: I'm uh... See ..... Remember that war meeting? *ruffles the back of his head, looking sheepish*
Mai: .....Zuko? *goes to pick up Tai as she is being protective*
Zuko: ... *not quite sure how to say this* Dad's going to take the men and.... burn the other nations to the ground. So everything can be rebuilt in his image.... and he's going to do this soon .... So we're going to go take him down .... The day the comet comes. *looks sad*
Mai: .....the...day the comet comes? But....*doesn't want to say but she knows that the firebenders are going to be almost impossible to stop*....*looks down and starts hushing Tai when he starts fussing*
Zuko: *looks at the ground* ...Yeah. They were going to wait until after, thinking things can't possibly get much worse. But then I had to tell them about Dad's plan ... So now... We have to. There's no choice in the matter.
Mai: ...Zuko. *still trying to get Tai to hush when Ursa starts fussing* Zuko...are you going to be okay? *picks up Ursa too*
Zuko: I hope so.... I'm not going to be the one up against Dad this time. Aang is ... But I got Azula. And I'm going to have to kill her. I'm just afraid ... that if the worst happens ... and we fail ... I don't want tp thonk of what would happen if I wasn't around anymore... What they'd do to you....
Mai: ......Zuko. *not really teary or anything just....quiet. Because she knows that what he's talking about is a distinct possibility* I...don't know what to say....just....be careful. I guess. *kisses him quickly on the cheek*
Zuko: Mai ... *looks at her intently* What I'm trying to say is.... I don't want to live ...or die... without you. I know I've messed up...and I know I was an ass... but I'm different now. I won't make the same mistakes again. I won't chase things I can't have. I think about you all the time. Nothing has changed about how I feel about you in the last five years. *touches her face with one hand* I love you, Mai...
Mai: ......Zuko. I...*puts the twins back in their twins as they've stopped fussing* I don't know what to say...*crosses her arms* When...when I broke things off with you...I thought I did it because I was tired of waiting for you to grow up. But...I'm starting to realize...that I'm the one that had to grow up....I was a spoiled little rich girl who hadn't worked a day in her life. Zuko....I still love you, too. *places her hand on top of his* And if either of us has to ask for forgiveness, it's me...
Zuko: *laughs and lets his hands slide down to rest on her waist* We were both pretty immature. Heh ... I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Whether it's a few weeks, or a few hundred years. *smirks*
Mai: *wraps her arms over Zuko shoulders* Zuko....I...I-what are you saying?
Zuko: Want to be my girl again? *grins*
Mai: ....*smiles* Yes.
Zuko: You won't regret it this time. *kisses her*
Mai: *kisses him back but is interuppted by Tai starting to cry* ...oh. Tai....*picks him up and starts bouncing him up and down in her arms* Shhh...it's okay....
Zuko: *distracted by Ursa burping a flame* Oh god... You weren't kidding. They're still keeping you pretty busy, huh? *silently bemoaning the fact he'll probably won't see any nookie again for at least a year and it makes him sad in the pants*
Mai: *chuckling* Yeah...but, I'm okay with that...*may or may not make an effort to put out before that but can't make any promises*
Zuko: *smirks* If you are, then I am. *comes up around behind her to hold her and affectionately nip at her ear*
Mai: *smiles* Zuko...*mood RUINED by Ursa burping up a flame that catches her blanket on fire* Oh! Hold Tai for a minute. *hands Tai off to Zuko and goes to put the fire on Ursa's blanket out*
Zuko: *holds Tai out in front of him and just stares at him *Tai stares back at him* *mentally wills Tai not to do anything gross* *this is clearly the start of the perfect father-son relationship*
Mai: *gives Ursa her binkey after putting the fire out* Good girl...now....*picks her up* Come say hi to daddy. *brings her over to Zuko, expecting her to reach out for him. Instead she throws her binkey at Tai* Ursa!
Zuko: *Tai starts whimpering, about to cry* *"help me I don't know wtf I'm doing" look* Um...uh....please shut up? It's okay, man. Your sister's just a bitch.
Mai: Zuko! *"that was NOT the right thing to say but I'm not going to tay mad at you forever" look* Here...just....bounce him up and down...he likes that...if that doesn't work, stick your finger in his mouth and start humming something....anything slow will work....*picks up Ursa's binkey and gives it back to her*
Zuko: *tries bouncing him up and down feeling totally retarded and wonders how Mai does it* Like this?
Mai: ....yeah. Like that. *gives up on trying to get Ursa to take her binkey and just puts it back with all the twins' other things*
Zuko: *notices Tai calm down* How do you know what to do?
Mai: Well, Zuko, I have been spending a lot of time with them for the past six months....*puts Ursa back in her crib* I think I picked up on just a few of their mannerisms.
Zuko: *looks sad* I'm sorry...
Mai: ....sorry about what? *was totally being sarcastic and doesn't even realize she might have hit a button*
Zuko: Not being there for you.
Mai: ....Zuko. You have more important things to be doing than worrying about me. *crosses her arms, happy to not have a baby in her hands for once*
Zuko: *smiles and chuckles* Glad you finally see what I've been seeing.
Mai: Like I said, Zuko...I had a lot of growing up to do. The twins helped me do that...
Zuko:*puts Tai back in his crib* *holds onto her again and nuzzles her cheek* You know no could ever compare to you, right?
Mai: *smiles* Thank you, Zuko, but I'm not going to pretend that I'm more important than the twelve-year-old boy that's going to save the world.
Zuko: I'm not just talking about that. *smirks*
Mai: Oh?
Zuko: You don't have to worry about me straying from you.
Mai: ....*smile* I never doubted that you would be loyal, Zuko...
Zuko: *frowns* You did at one point...
Mai: *frowns as well* ....I'm sorry.
Zuko: But it's okay now.
Mai: *hesitant* Yeah...
Good night, folks!