Behind the Mask: Of Clandestine Meetings

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never will.

"Are you going to look for him?" Smellerbee asked, her attention still drawn to the blade she was sharpening.

Longshot adjusted his bamboo hat and glanced at Smellerbee before picking up the bow he had rested against the wall earlier.

The young Freedom Fighter looked up. "Should I go with you?"

Longshot blinked in surprise and shook his head resolutely.

"You're right; someone should stay here in case he comes back," Smellerbee said and sighed in defeat. "I really really wish we could start a new life here but…he still believes in fighting the good fight, even though there's no actual good in fighting." Smellerbee laughed. "I'm not making sense, am I?"

Longshot tilted his head and gave Smellerbee a brief smile. No, not at all.

"Are you going to look for Appa?" Aang asked, perking up from his seat on the floor.

"No, I'm not actually," Sokka said. "I'm going to the lower city to look at some of the wares there. If I see Appa though, you'll be the first to know," he promised, giving Aang a reassuring smile.

Aang's own eager smile deflated into a frown. "Is now really the time for shopping, Sokka? We still haven't found Appa and that Long Feng guy wouldn't let us see the King."

"Yeah, Aang's right," Katara said, looking up from a scroll she was holding. She had been reading documents for the past hour, searching for a way to inform the King of the war.

Sokka sighed. "I won't take too long, Katara. Besides, it's better than looking at documents all day."

"Can I come?" Toph asked.

"No!" He burst out, glaring at Toph.

"Whoa there, Sokka. Why are you being mean? Are you going out with someone you don't want us to know about?" Katara teased.

Sokka blushed. "I am not!" With a frustrated grunt, he strode towards the door, opened it, and disappeared in a huff.

Toph examined her nails, whispering to herself in a sing-song voice, "I can tell you're lying."

"What took you so long?" Sokka asked, stomping towards the lone figure. Longshot looked up and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Sokka made a face. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry for making you wait. Happy now?" He demanded.

Longshot smiled and jerked his head, gesturing at a small narrow lane. Sokka laughed. "As much as I want to kiss you right now—which I don't want—I think making out in alley is undignified."

Longshot rolled his eyes and grabbed Sokka's hand, dragging him towards the dark passageway. Sokka grinned. "Alright, if you really want—oh!"

A small brightly-lit restaurant greeted them at the end of the lane. It was ordinary-looking; the walls were a pastel color and the makeshift door looked like it needed oiling. Sokka sniffed the air. "Is that sea prunes I smell?" He ran closer and took another whiff. "It is isn't it?" He beamed. "How did you know?"

Longshot shrugged.

"This is so great! I wonder if they have—" He faltered in his step. "Wait. I'm paying, aren't I?"

The Freedom Fighter gave him a sheepish grin. Sokka groaned. "I knew it."

Katara's mouth watered at the thought of eating South Pole food again. Shaking her head, she made a face and followed the two inside.

Curious at her brother's reaction, Katara had gone to her room and disguised herself with the light green clothes of an ordinary Earth citizen. Slipping through window, she had quickly followed her brother towards the train. From there, she had kept her distance. After all, she didn't want her brother finding out she had been spying on his…love affairs.

Katara shuddered. She was mortified at the thought of her brother dating another man. With Yue or Suki, it seemed only natural; he didinherit his irresistible charms from their father. Longshot though?

Does that mean Jet is with them? Katara thought and felt her heart skip a beat. Closing her eyes, she took a moment to remind herself that it was Sokka's love life she was thinking about, not hers, before opening them again to order some seafood soup and clams.

The waitress, dressed in blue outdated clothes to make her seem from the Water Tribe, placed a cup of tea on Katara's table and followed the waterbender's gaze towards the other two. "I'm afraid the young man's already taken, miss." She said and gave Katara a crooked smile. "By that man no doubt." The waitress nodded at the taller of the two. "I suggest you look for someone a wee bit younger and with more sense to boot. A bit of taste in fashion would also help."

"That's my brother you're talking about," Katara said and frowned.

"Ah! Sorry, miss. I did not see the family resemblance." The waitress gave Katara an apologetic smile and bowed before leaving.

Katara sighed and shook her head. Even the waitress was aware of their…relationship. Taking a sip from her tea, she examined her surroundings and was relieved to find that there were not many people eating in the restaurant. The less people there were to witness her brother's foolishness, the better.

Surprisingly enough, that's what Gran-Gran always said. The thought put a small brief smile on her lips before the dilemma of her brother's orientation came crashing down to her. What would Father say if he found out?

"Your order, miss."

Katara gave the waitress a small smile and thanked her. Placing the spoon to her lips, she took a small sip, savoring the taste of the soup. She licked her lips and began to eat.

"…it was so funny, I swear!" Sokka said and grinned.

Longshot gave him an amused smile before wiping out some of the sauce that was dripping down Sokka's cheek. The young Water Tribe warrior blushed and grabbed the tissue. "Let me do it," he said and began rubbing his face vigorously.

The Freedom Fighter winced. With Sokka's rubbing, the sauce had spread across the young man's face instead of going to its intended destination: the tissue. Grabbing the other's arm, he shook his head and eased the tissue off the warrior's grip. Taking off the ragged piece of clothing he wore around his shoulders, he pulled Sokka's chin and started cleaning his face.

"Thanks, Longshot," he said, his voice slightly muffled by the cloth. "You want to eat the rest of my shrimp? I don't think I can take another bite."

Longshot shook his head and let go of Sokka. About to put his bandana back on, he stiffened as he heard the bell ring. Taking a peek outside the window, he grimaced; it was already nearing dark. Looking regretfully at Sokka, he stood up and snatched his arrows and slung it across his chest.

"So you're leaving, huh?" Sokka asked. Grabbing Longshot by the shirt, he gave him a kiss, earning a gasp from the other diners. Pushing him away, he beckoned to the door. "Go," he commanded and dropped to his seat as he watched Longshot walk away. Rubbing his head, he was about to call for the check when he saw the waitress who had served them earlier place a check in front of him.

"The young miss said I was to have you pay for her meal," the waitress squeaked and looked at the floor in embarrassment.

"The young miss?" Sokka asked. Turning from his seat, he felt his jaw drop. "Katara?!"

A/N: Yes. "That's it?!" sounds just about right. This is only a one-shot. Which means I'm going to let your creative minds do all of the thinking on what happens next. If you do look at the latest chapter of my central fic Behind the Mask (chapter 5), you'll see Katara acknowledging the relationship between those two.

And just so you know, this happens before Lake Laogai and after City of Walls and Secrets.