As Much As I Like Zukka, I Can't Stop Thinking How Zuko Was Canonically So Happily In Love With Mai And

as much as i like zukka, i can't stop thinking how zuko was canonically so happily in love with mai and how those dummy comics really made her dump him with no evidence of them getting back together :/// let him be happy with characters we already love :////

okay since you’re giving me an opportunity to ship maiko on main- i think about this every single goddamn day and i’m always sad about it. 

mai and zuko somehow managed to make each other happy when the world was shit. literally, that scene in the boiling rock when zuko is talking about mai and he just looks up at the sky and smiles- just thinking about her is enough to put a smile on his face. mai and zuko didn’t have a perfect relationship but they made each other so happy and i’m sad :(

do you have any maiko headcanons? i love your artstyle btw <3

Thank you so much I'm glad you like it!

Here's some maiko headcanons

- Once everything is all settled (fire nation is stable, no threat to the throne) they can finally relax and be more open freely towards each other, that includes more kisses in hallways, laying near the pond and the occasional quick makeouts etc.

- They understand each other very well like the silent communication type. They also learn from their mistakes and get better at expressing their feelings as they grow older

- Zuko has the dopiest grin looking at Mai and she melts inside every time

- He’s the only one who knows that Mai is quite an affectionate person when they’re in private

- Mai reveals her pregnancy at the fountain (since izumi means fountain) and Zuko stops breathing and falls into it

- Even though they get better at communicating and expressing their emotions as they mature, their main love language is always touch

- Mai does Zuko’s hair in the mornings but sometimes Zuko offers to do her hair too and he’s pretty good at it!

- Mai is NOT am early riser. She also steals pillows

- And blankets

- Zuko loves cuddles. He would be very happy if Mai’s the one who initiates the cuddle (she’s the more timid of the two)

- Zuko thinks he got every sigh of her figured out but then he completely misread it, obliviously making things worse. Their relationship has bumps and it’s not always perfect, but they always make up for it

- Being firelord keeps Zuko up late at night, Mai lets him work until she thinks that he needs to rest that she forcefully drags him to bed

- Sometimes Mai falls back into her old habits and completely shuts off, but Zuko always gets through to her

- They’re the happiest with each other. She is his anchor and he is her world

- Shortly after Izumi was born, Zuko entertained the idea of having another kid. Mai gave him one look and Zuko went ‘Yep. 1 is enough.”

I like them in a specific way that's hard for me to describe into words but here's the light stuff! Sorry if these are cheesy, thanks for the ask!

something something taking on the mannerisms of your loved ones

Enough 'Lee from the tea shop' jokes in the fandom, I need more people considering 'Kuzon from school' jokes. Like the scenario is funny as hell. This kid shows up out of nowhere. Says he's from the colonies. Talks back to the teachers. He's super nice. The school bully tries to fight Kuzon and he effortlessly humiliates him. The school bully's girlfriend and a bunch of other girls like him and he doesn't even care. Kuzon then organizes an illegal party. He shows off some moves and teaches them how to dance. He dances with a very pretty girl they don't know. The school principal and some cops turn up to arrest him and bam, he's gone. All that in like, two days. I bet he became a legend in the school, so imagine if one day he sees one of the kids again and he's recognized and he's like 'Actually my name isn't Kuzon, I'm Avatar Aang 😄' and they're like 'damn Kuzon from the colonies is the Avatar?'

I'm in my Maiko feels today, and I gotta say: we don't talk enough about the fact that Mai is too shy to say she loves Zuko to his face.

On The Headband she says "I don't hate you." On The Beach she says "I care about you." In the finale she says "I actually... kind of like you." The ONE time she full on says the word LOVE, is at The Boiling Rock, when she's talking to Azula.

She can call him her boyfriend, act flirty, make out at any time, say he ripped her heart out with the break up letter and jokingly "threaten" him to never do it again... but she just can't say "I love you." She literally started blushing when she tried in the finale, and couldn't get the right words out.

It's such a cute little detail. She's not used to expressing how she feels, so she doesn't know how or when she should say it.

She'll 100% just let it slip someday, in some casual conversation. Zuko is gonna stare at her all wide-eyed and happy, and she's just gonna feel her very soul screaming in agony and embarrassement.

tea party

izumi jumped around the garden, her hands clutched to a pretend-teapot, she went around the table, seated with the most distinguished of all guests. The noble turtleducks were chatterboxes, while general druk was nibbling on the table cloth.

"thank you very much for inviting us, lady zumi" mai thanked and she slightly bowed down in her chair. "you're welcome firelady mai" izumi replied as she poured the tea in her mother's tea cup.

"would you like some jasmine biscuits dad?" izumi asked as she sat down, zuko cringed as he thought of eating jasmine biscuits, he hated them, jasmine tea was lovely, he couldnt say the same for the biscuits.

He looked at mai, who was glaring at him as she mouthed out 'say yes' zuko sighed before saying "of course darling" as the toddler's face brightened up with his reply which made his heart melt with happiness.

"oh no, i think we are out of tea, how about me and dad go fill some up?" mai suggested as zuko looked at her confused, "oh i'll come too" izumi said standing up, her arms up in the air.

"sure but are you okay with leaving your guests alone? i mean druk is going to eat all the biscuits" mai said, playing alone with her child's imagination,

"hmm that is true" izumi said as held her chin with her small hands, 'she looked so much like zuko at that moment' mai thought.

mai grabbed zuko by his hand as she dragged him into the palace kitchen, she grabbed the porcelain tea kettle that was gifted to them by uncle iroh.

she poured the deep orangey-yellow tea into the kettle which was not that easy to shatter. the strong jasmine aroma which both her husband and child enjoyed filled her nostrils.

a small smile crept up upon her face as she felt a strong hand on her waist,"not now" she mumbled putting down the fragile kettle down on the counter before facing zuko, who had a smile plastered onto his face with a slight blush on his cheeks.

He lifted her and put her down on the opposite counter table island. inching his face closer. "why not now?" he said as he started pecking her face with kisses, starting from her jawline to the corner of her lips.

"because-"what are you two doing" a childish voice came from the doorway. Zuko and mai turned their attention to see a confused izumi with her hands on her hips.

"nothing sweetie" mai said as she jumped down from the counter straightening her clothes before taking the kettle and walk towards the garden as zuko followed behind her.

The trio walked together to the garden with the couple's faces burning red