"I have an idea. I'll come up with costume ideas, and everyone can draw out of a hat-"

"You mean like last year? No way, Katara. I ended up having to wear this itty-bitty skirt, itchy wig, and heels, since Zuko pulled 'Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon' out of the stupid hat," Aang complained. Zuko grinned at him.

"Aw, Aang but you looked so cute. Those heels made your butt look adorable." Aang glared at him. "What? They did. I could hardly wait until we were alone."

"Sparky, Twinkles, get a room while the rest of us talk about this."

"What's wrong with each of us choosing our own costume anyway, Katara?"

"Nothing. I just think it's cute to have the couples wearing matching costumes."

"Then you and Jet should wear matching costumes and let the rest of us pick our own costumes."

"Sokka has a point. Maybe we should all pick our own costumes, like we did before any of us started dating."

"Ooh, I have an idea. How 'bout everyone choose the costume for whoever they're dating? Sugar Queen will be happy because no one gets to pick their own costume, and no one should end up like poor Twinkles did last year." Sokka had an issue with this plan.

"There is no way I'm wearing a costume picked out for me by a blind girl. Not to the Halloween Masquerade." The Halloween Masquerade was the big Halloween party Iroh hosted every year at The Jasmine Dragon. It was one of the busiest nights at the teashop. Before he and Aang had started dating, Zuko had usually worked as a waiter that night. Aang had managed to get him to start taking the night off and attend the party, the way Iroh had been trying to for years.

Zuko leaned over and kissed Aang. "I have to get to work, sweetie. Don't let Katara make us draw out of a hat again, OK?"

"OK. Have fun at the tea shop." Katara sighed as the door closed behind him, conceding defeat.

"All right, all right. We won't draw out of a hat. We'll use Toph's idea." Sokka groaned but made no other protest.

"I'll go with her when she picks out your costume, Sokka. I'll make sure she picks something you won't hate."

"Thank you, Aang. I appreciate that."

"Dear God. How am I supposed to pick a costume for Zuko? There are thousands here!"

"Don't worry, Twinkles. Just find one that picturing Sparky in makes you horny. That's what he's probably going to do. What is this thing supposed to be?"

"Pumpkin. Sokka would hate that thing with a passion." Toph's suggestion had definite merit. Problem was, most of the costumes he thought Zuko would like had that effect on him.

"Better not get it then."

"I don't think he'd mind dressing up as a pirate. Or maybe a zombie."

"Ooh, zombies. Hey, while we're talking about the walking dead…I have an idea. Dress Sparky as Edward from Twilight. They have the same eye and skin color, right?"

"Zuko would dump me if I even suggested it. He hates that movie. And the books." Besides, picturing Zuko dressed as Edward didn't do anything for Aang. He pulled out a red Asian-styled robe. "I like this one. It will make his shoulders look so broad. I'll just have to convince him it's not a dress."

"What's that one?"

"'Fire Lord.' I think it's from a TV show." It even came with a crown. Nice. Aang would get to mess with Zuko's hair.

"All right, Twinkles. Lead me to the zombies. If I don't like anything there, pirates."

"Yes, ma'am. Hey, this one comes with the stuff and step-by-step instructions to make fake wounds."

"Do you think Snoozles will like it?"

"As long as he hasn't gone off that zombie kick he was on a few weeks ago."

"He hasn't."

"Then he'll like it."

"Right. That's Sparky and Snoozles down. What do you think they're going to get for us?"

"I have no idea. Mine had better not involve heels. I don't care how good Zuko says they make my butt look."

"Did he really like your costume that much?"

"He almost tore it off me once we were in his room." She laughed. Aang didn't mention that he'd almost torn Zuko's off, too. It was Zuko's fault, though. He'd been whispering in Aang's ear the whole time about all the things he was planning to do to him that night.

"That sounds like Sparky."

Zuko stared miserably at the racks of costumes. He hated shopping. Agreeing to go costume shopping with Sokka just made shopping even worse. The tan teen had not shut up. Not once. Since they arrived in the stupid store. How was he supposed to focus on finding the perfect costume for Aang if Sokka wouldn't shut up?

"Ooh, a pumpkin! Toph will love it."

"She will kill you and bury your body in the woods, Sokka."

"She would not."

"She's like a little sister to me, Sokka. I know how she would react to that costume."

"You're probably right. What do you think she'd like?"

"Try a luchador. She'd like that." Sokka wandered off to find where they kept the luchador costumes, giving Zuko a chance to browse in peace. Zuko was trying to decide between two different pirate costumes when Sokka returned…carrying a pink and purple luchador costume.

"You should see a doctor about these suicidal tendencies of yours, Sokka."

"What's wrong with it?" he demanded indignantly.

"Do you even know Toph, Sokka? She hates pink. Ty Lee would love that costume, but not Toph."

"She's blind. She can't see what color it is."

"Someone will tell her, Sokka."

"Oh, all right. I saw a green one she might like."

"As long as it's not green and pink." Sokka ended choosing a green and tan one, while Zuko bought the costume with the shirt open to the waist.

"You picked that one because it makes you horny, didn't you?"

"The costume doesn't make me horny, Sokka." Picturing Aang wearing it did. That was none of Sokka's business, though.

Zuko was not amused. It was the night of the Halloween Masquerade, and he and Aang were in Zuko's room getting ready. Aang loved his costume. Zuko…not so much. "It's a dress, Aang."

"It is not. The label specifically says Fire Lord. See?" Zuko did see. It did not change the fact that Aang had bought him a dress.

"This is your revenge for my drawing 'Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon' last year, isn't it?" Aang sighed in exasperation.

"No, Zuko, it is not. It is a robe. One that will highlight your coloring, and make your shoulders look extra broad. I get one hell of an erection just thinking about you wearing that costume. How horny do you think I'm going to be after seeing you wearing it all night? Now put on the damn costume."

"You picked this costume because it made you horny didn't you?"

"Yep. I couldn't decide, so Toph told me to pick the one that made me horniest." Aang held up the shirt to his costume with a raised eyebrow. "Which is exactly what you did, if I'm not mistaken. And if you complain about that costume one more time, I'll put glitter on you and tell everyone you're dressed as Edward." It took Zuko a moment to realize that Aang was being completely serious.

"You know, this doesn't look that much like a dress."

Aang raked his eyes slowly over his boyfriend's costumed body. "Nice…very nice. Turn around. I'll do your hair and put on the crown for you." Aang tied Zuko's hair into a bun, and then added the crown. He pressed a kiss to the nape of Zuko's neck, then nipped gently. Zuko sucked in a sharp breath. "It just needs one more thing and it's perfect."

"What?" Aang pulled out the chain he had brought with him. He had gotten this wonderful idea in a dream the night before. "What's the chain for?" Zuko asked suspiciously.

"I had this dream last night. I was a pirate, and I captured you, the Fire Lord, and decided to keep you as my personal sex slave. I kept you chained because you kept trying to escape from me."

"A pirate, huh? Mighty big coince- wait a minute. Sokka told you what costume I bought for you, didn't he?"

"All he said was that it was a pirate costume. I really did have that dream last night, though." Aang grinned wickedly at him. This was going to be fun. "Hmm, let's see. I can't chain your hands, you won't be able to eat or drink. I can't put the chain around your waist, it's not long enough. One of my hands will be within inches of your hips all night. I'll just have to use your neck." That, of course, had been Aang's intent all along.

"You are not wrapping a chain around my neck, Aang."

"Of course not. That's why I brought a collar, too." Aang pulled it out his bag and held it up. Zuko snatched it out of his hand.

"Why is there a tag with my name on one side and yours on the other, Aang?" Aang looked at him innocently.

"I thought we might use it other nights, too. You should have seen the look the salesperson gave me when I asked for that. The name of whichever one of us is topping that night would go on the side of the tag facing out." Aang made sure that his name was facing outward as he fastened the collar around Zuko's neck.

"Aang Watanabe, you are a depraved pervert."

"Only because of you, my darling. I was an innocent little virgin when we started dating, remember? Any depravity I have, I learned from you." He kissed him tenderly. Before he started dating Zuko, the only experience he had was a few chaste kisses with Katara, before they decided they were better as friends. "That's loose enough, right?" Zuko tested it by placing three of his fingers between his neck and the collar.

"Yeah." Aang happily fastened the chain to the little link on the collar.

"All right, I am the fierce pirate Aangarossa, and you are my captive, the fiery Fire Lord Zuko." Zuko snorted with laughter.

"Aang, those are horrible puns."

"I know."

"Put on your shirt, we're going to be late."

"What the hell is up with the chain, Aang?" Katara was dressed as a princess, in a beautiful blue gown. Jet looked miserable dressed as her handsome prince.

"I am the fierce pirate Aangarossa, and this is my captive, Fire Lord Zuko. I captured him while he was voyaging to a foreign land to claim his princess bride, and decided to keep him as my personal sex slave."

"What 'princess bride'? I don't remember any 'princess bride'.

"Aha! He has grown to yearn for my touch so much that he's forgotten all about the woman he's been promised to since he was a toddler." Zuko flushed.

"Aang!" Aang grinned wickedly at him.

"What? I'm just trying to stay in character."

"You really put a lot of thought into this, didn't you, Arrowhead?" Jet's tone was mocking.

"So what if he did? It's a hell of a lot better then simply dressing however his girlfriend tells him to." Jet scowled and was about to reply when Aang linked his arm through Zuko's and started pulling him through the crowd. Zuko and Jet had been on their best behavior the last few months, and Aang had forgotten how much they disliked each other. Whoops.

"Oh, look, there are our uncles. Let's go show them our costumes."

"I thought you were trying to stay 'in character'. Wouldn't Aangarossa simply tow his captive along by the chain?" Aang blinked.

"You're right. I completely forgot." Aang dropped Zuko's arm and tugged on the chain instead. "You didn't have to pick a fight with Jet, Zuko."

"He insulted you, and was making fun of the fact that you actually care about what you're wearing to this party." Aang sighed.

"I know, Zuko. But I could have handled it." Zuko snorted but didn't say anything. Probably because they had just reached their uncles. Gyatso was wearing his Buddhist Monk robes, from before he had emigrated form Tibet. Iroh was dressed in a tuxedo.

"What are you dressed as, Uncle Iroh?"

"I am Bond. James Bond." Aang and Zuko both laughed. "What are you two boys dressed as?"

"I am Aangarossa, the terror of the Seven Seas. This is my captive, Fire Lord Zuko. I captured him, and have made him my very willing and eager sex slave." Zuko raised his eyebrow at him.

"Well, that explains the chain, then. My nephew, why are you wearing a pet tag with Aang's name on it?" Zuko blushed again.

"Oh, um…"

"He's wearing it because I'm topping tonight, sir." It really was a good thing their uncles were completely okay with their nephews having an active sex life. Aang would have had a fun time explaining that tag otherwise. "The other side has Zuko's name on it, for when he tops." Gyatso nodded sagely.

"Ah. That makes perfect sense." Aang smiled crookedly at his uncle.

"Have you guys seen Sokka and Toph around? I want to see how Sokka's makeup came out." Iroh pointed across the room.

"I think they're over there."

"Hey, guys. What's up with the collar and chain?"

"I am Aangarossa, the Scourge of the Seas, and this is my adoring sex slave, the fiery Fire Lord Zuko. I claimed him as my own, and now he thinks only of me and the pleasure only I can give him."

"Nice, Twinkles."

"Thank you, Toph. I try, I really do."

"Why do you change it every time, Aang?"

"I don't want you to get bored, my darling." Zuko rested his head on Aang's shoulder.

"Such a considerate master I have. Nice makeup, Sokka. Those wounds look very realistic."

"BRAAAIIIIIIIIIINSSSSSS!" Everyone laughed.

"So basically, Twinkles, you found a way to make your costumes match. What did Sugar Queen think?"

"She wanted to know what was up with the chain. Then Zuko got into an argument with Jet, and we left to go talk to our uncles." Toph nodded.

"I almost forgot. Thanks for not letting Snoozles get that pink and purple costume, Sparky."

"Any time, Toph. Would you cover for us with our uncles if they notice our absence?" Aang smirked at him.

"Have my tales stirred your blood, my beautiful one?"

"OK, seriously, you two. Go get a room, before Snoozles and I lock you in the bathroom or something."

"Yes, ma'am. You heard the lady, Zuko. Even Fire Lords and their pirate masters must heed the orders of so fierce a warrior." Aang led Zuko out of the room by the chain, heading back upstairs to Zuko's room.