Vergogna Nerd

Rocky & Adrian - Through the years (I-V)

Screencap redraw! 

“Yeah, aren’t you curious about what it says?”

“I think I can guess. You’re a disappointment of a son, I’d die of embarrassment if I wasn’t already … why do you wear so much purple?”

Mai had a crush on him BEFORE THE AGNI KAI THAT GOT HIM BANISHED

I.e. back when he was more himself than we see for most of the show until halfway through season 3.

She liked him for who he really was. I think that’s often glossed over.

A lot of people point to The Beach as an indicator that their relationship is bad, but that’s kind of the point? Zuko is struggling with himself and it’s affecting his relationship with Mai. He’s not who she fell in love with anymore but she’s trying to stick with him despite that. (A lot of their body language in the episode is them turned away from one another.)

Then in the Boiling Rock Part 2, despite him breaking her heart, she still protects him from the prison guards and Azula because he’s finally acting like the boy she knows and loves again.

And of course in the finale, when he’s truly himself again, they fully make up and look genuinely happy together.