Maiko fanfic - Love Letters (slow updates)

the original prompt/outline??? (incomplete)

the only reason I added this is because it was previously written in two different posts days apart from one another that I posted on tumblr months ago and it was getting hard to find and harder to update without knowing a refresher for goes next, and I've been telling myself I'd finish the outline for months now and i just kept forgetting about it. hopefully this improves my motivation.

this has probably been done before but frankly not enough. throughout their childhood Mai and Zuko would have small moments with each other and by the time they turned 12 and 13 they were having brief make out sessions whenever Azula wasn't around and they were have servants send letters to one another on secret by paying them off (like the two servants are brothers and one works at the palace and the other works for Mai's family). after the agni kai the palace servant decided to go with zuko because he felt bad for him and he was always nice to him, and with that they kept up the secret love letters but the letters got a lot longer. Mai would stash hers under her mattress and zuko would hide his in a box filled with trinkets they've shared over the years that she gave to him to remember her by. after the siege of the north communications were cut off but zuko saved his box, when Mai stopped receiving letters she began to worry then when her parents announced that they'd be moving to omashu she held onto the hope that she'd be able to find him in the earth kingdom. mai knew all about him being the blue spirit so when she heard he was in the earth kingdom she started tracking where he might be. when she was recruited by azula she didn't think much of what her job might entail, and when she found out she had a major decision to make. runaway with zuko, or betray the love of her life. the choice was made before she even knew there was one. at this point mai didn't care about the war at all, to her it was all pointless. and to zuko the war itself no longer mattered to him it was approval he was looking for some of which he got from mai and his uncle and the rest he needed to grow to understand was not what he really needed. once they were both in ba sing se it didn't take too long for their paths to cross again. this was the moment mai was waiting for she was going to find him on her own and they were going to run away together. sadly plans don't always go how you want them too, and while they were both still together, going back to the fire nation put a strain on their relationship worse than being hundreds of miles apart. when zuko left on the day of the black sun, mai didn't cry, she wasn't afraid because she knew they'd meet again. she burned the evidence and feigned heartbreak and lo and behold came the letter from her uncle, the warden. she packed everything she'd need for camping, a change of clothes, every single weapon she owned (mostly throwing knives but a few swords and sai), her letters, and a sleeping pack. she couldn't hide the information from azula in time but she put the bag in the airship the night before leaving. she unlike zuko didn't leave a letter, she had nothing to say to them. the moment zuko walked in and the guard left she kissed him. they stayed like that for a few minutes before they exchanged explanations, zuko reluctantly agreed to let her come with the gaang though whether or not she'd be accepted amongst the group was completely up to them. when the guard came again they knew it was time to leave. they ran out together and took the warden captive with sokka and suki everyone was apprehensive around mai but that worked out in their favour. As everyone got on board the gondola and it started moving, mai stayed until they made it clear when azula and ty lee started heading towards the gondola mai ran with them and got in their way as she made it on board as soon as she secured the guards so that they wouldn't stop the gondola. once she made it on board she cut the cord azula was on causing her to leap to the other cord with her hands so she couldn't firebend and got ty lee so off balance in a mixture of shock and imbalance she ended up dangling from the cord as well. by the time they both got to safety they were already halfway to the airship. once they got onboard proper introductions were made and more explanations were given. and once they got back to the campsite that's when the questions started stumbling out. We left off with Mai deciding to risk her life in betraying the fire nation and joining Zuko in his crusade with team Avatar to stop the fire nation war. she's questioned a little once in the airship and as soon as they return to the air temple Mai is simply disregarded in the commotion. She and Zuko sneak off to his room to have a serious conversation about the state of their relationship and to bring her up to date on the plans. As that is happening Sokka is giving an animated retelling of the happenings at the boiling rock. Once Katara realizes who else is there she instantly marches into Zuko's room only to find them quite graphically making out on the floor. before she can even register what's going on she makes a face of disgust and expresses that feeling verbally as well witha surprised "ugh!". Zuko and Mai turn away from each other Zuko looking a lot more embarrassed than Mai, they get up quickly and dust themselves off. Katara demands an explanation to which they happily supply and have Sokka vouch for Mai. once that's taken care off the others are still weary about having Mai there so they decide to have her sleep in the same room as Toph so they know if she does anything suspicious. From that moment on if Zuko isn't teaching Aang and if Mai wasn't sparring with various gAang members, they were making out in the common areas, in the forrest, and even in Mai and Toph's room. In fact they were making out the moment they're blissful bubble was burst. Azula was here. They quickly sort out a plan Zuko talks to Azula, while Mai makes sure everyone gets away safely. Once everyone gets away safely Mai goes back to where Zuko is running after Azula. She joins in the fight and uses her knives to not only latch on to the surrounding airships but as a way to slice and deflate them so they don't follow you once you escape. When Zuko falls off one of the airships Appa couldn't get to him in time because he keeps having to dodge the airships so you do a running jump into a dive and use your momentum and catch Zuko and land on Appa together. While running away Mai and zuko didn't have enough time to get their packs but thankfully Toph brought Mai's with her and Sokka brought Zuko's with him. Once at the new camp ground Zuko starts setting up the tents with Mai. "do you think they'd let me sleep in your tent now?" she asks "maybe... I don't know" Zuko replies as Sokka, dramatically starts walking towards them lugging Zuko's bag behind him. "here Zuko *plops bag* hope you don't mind but I took out the box that was in there it kept poking against my back *rubs back*". Zuko's eye bugs "the wooden box?! Where'd you put it?!" Zuko asks frantically. Sokka noticing this shift calms him down and hands him the box "what's so special about it?" Sokka asks while Mai looks over and gasps as she sees all the letters she wrote to him. "you really are a dork, aren't you Zuko." Mai says kneeling next to him and taking her own letters out to show him. Zuko brings her in close and for a second it looks like they're about to cry. Sokka begins to see how romantic they're being and is now curious beyond belief. "I think there's a story here what happened? what are all those letters? who are they from? lets go to to the fire so you can tell everybody!" Sokka suggests. Mai and Zuko give each other the look and begrudgingly agree. Sokka, now excited goes bouncing to Aang and Suki to tell them about the story their about to hear. The couple exchanges one last passionate kiss only to be interrupted again this time by Toph's notable "ugh, we are definitely not sleeping in the same tent again if I have to experience more of this!". Zuko gives a soft chuckle before they get up hold hands and suggest Toph comes with them to hear the story. Toph agrees and goes to bring Katara along so they're all gathered around the camp fire together. By the end of the story everybody's crying and has grown a deeper understanding of their relationship. they even pass around a few of the less personal letters.