[September 12] [Avatar] Leader-in-Training

[influx]

Title: Leader-in-Training
Day/Theme: September 12 / an ode to your innocence
Series: Avatar: the Last Airbender
Character/Pairing: Zuko, Mai
Rating: G




As soon as he steps behind the balcony curtain, Zuko lets out a breath and wipes his brow.

Mai looks up from the couch. "That was terrible," she says.

Zuko scowls. "Who asked you?"

She shrugs. "No one, I guess. You might want to take a towel, by the way. You're dripping sweat."

"Well, I'm sorry," says Zuko. (He takes the towel.) Then he pauses. "Was it really that bad?"

"You don't know the first thing about court behavior, do you?"

"I don't--" Zuko is picking at his robes again. Mai contemplates telling him that's a bad habit, but decides it can wait. "It's not like anyone ever taught me."

Mai raises an eyebrow. "Isn't that what I'm here for?"

"Well," Zuko says, like he honestly hasn't thought about this, "uh, I guess so..."

Mai turns her head just enough that he cannot see her expression, and smiles. "Among other things, I suppose," she says.