Welcome to the Club
Sokka lay back on the spring fresh grass with a contented sigh. Hands behind his head, he stared at the never ending canvas of blue above, marred only by the tiniest wisps of white. "You know, Suki, springtime in the Earth Kingdom really is great. Aren't you glad Toph invited us all to stay at her parents' house for the week?"
"I grew up in the Earth Kingdom, Sokka. It's really nothing new for me. But yeah, it is pretty great." Suki was dressed in simple green robes, perfect for training, her face bare of Kyoshi makeup and looking every bit as fresh as the spring day that everyone was enjoying. She joined her boyfriend, stretching out luxuriously beside him and linking her hand with his.
In the distance, much to Lao's and Poppy's dismay, the benders in the little group of friends trained ferociously, earth, water, fire and air meeting in thunderous claps of noise, explosions of dirt, cascading waves and huge walls of flame. The perfectly manicured gardens, the pride of the Bei Fong family looked like a war zone, something all members of the group were far too familiar with.
Mai sat off to the side a bit, spinning a blade in one hand, enjoying the site of a shirtless Zuko. His well toned muscles rippled beneath pale skin as he jumped and spun and thrust out with arms and legs. Mai flushed suddenly as she imagined him doing all the same moves with no clothes at all. "I'm bored," she said to no one in particular, trying to cover up her increasing arousal. "We should be training with them too."
"Yeah," Sokka agreed. His voice was full of indignation. "It's like we're not good enough because we don't bend. Well, who destroyed the Fire Nation airship fleet and who killed Combustion Man and who took out all those Boiling Rock guards with her knives and who is the sexiest, most bad ass fighter ever?" He waggled his eyebrows at Suki, leaning down to give her a kiss.
The Kyoshi Warrior wound her arms around Sokka's neck and joined in enthusiastically, shoving her tongue inside the Water Tribesman's mouth and completely forgetting about Mai's presence.
"Great," Mai droned. "I said I was bored but I didn't ask for a show."
"Oh, please, how many times have you and Zuko made out in front of us?" Sokka sat up on his elbows and gave Mai a searching look.
"We've simply kissed. It's your curiosity, or should I say nosiness that ends up bringing you to the closet or disused room or garden alcove where Zuko and I originally went to for privacy. I think you like watching Zuko and me."
"Wha, what? No…." the warrior spluttered. "That would just be weird. And I am most definitely NOT weird."
Even Suki snorted at that comment. "Um, Sokka, I hate to break it to you, but you are weird."
"Well," he huffed. "That's fine, you two women side against me, the only other non bender in our little group. We should be sticking together, ladies, not tearing each other apart."
"Little group," Suki mused. "You might have something there, Sokka. If they can train together, no non-benders allowed, then we should train together, no benders allowed."
"Oh, yeah, we'll show them," Mai dead panned. "I really don't think they'll care. And what about Zuko; he uses swords too."
"True, true," Sokka agreed, stroking an imaginary beard. "He does multi task, so to speak, but he's a bender, Mai. He belongs with them."
"So I'm stuck watching the two of you grope while Zuko's over there, with his sharp swords. That doesn't seem fair. Come on, Sokka. You could play swords together."
"Remember, Mai, he'll be doubly tired with twice the training. That might have unwanted repercussions." Suki gave her friend a little push and then nodded over at Zuko. "They're going at it pretty hard over there."
"Zuko has a lot of stamina. Trust me, I know." Mai recalled certain bedroom escapades that would have left lesser men dead.
"Too much information, Mai, too much information; Zuko is a big question mark then, but I say after lunch, we have our own little party."
"Agreed," Suki and Mai said at the same time.
"And when is lunch, by the way?" the Water Tribe warrior inquired. "I'm starving."
Toph's parents, who were only just getting used to the idea that their daughter was an extremely independent and capable girl, a war hero and probably the best earth bender in the entire world, greeted the group of friends with shaking heads and frowns.
Lao clucked his tongue, smoothed down his robes and aimed a narrow eyed gaze at his fourteen year old daughter. "When I said you could bring your friends here for a little holiday, I was honoured, Toph. The Fire Lord himself is here, the Fire Lord in my home." Zuko blushed and bent his head, suddenly finding his dust covered shoes incredibly interesting. "I didn't think you would act like wild animals, tearing the garden apart. Perhaps you shouldn't have friends over anymore."
Poppy lay a hand on her husband's arm. "Toph said she could return everything to the way it was, didn't you, Toph?"
"Already done," the tiny girl declared smugly. "In fact the gardens have never looked better. You can really brag about them now."
"Well, I certainly hope so, young lady. Now, go wash up for lunch, all of you. Excuse the orders, Fire Lord Zuko, my lord, you can do whatever you wish." Lao smiled broadly at Zuko, showing all his perfectly straight teeth and clasped his hands together as if asking for forgiveness.
Mai couldn't help the strangled sounding laugh that escaped her throat. Zuko threw her a fiery glare and then spoke to Lao. "Please, treat me the same as you would everyone else here. We're all friends and I deserve no more respect than they do."
"If you wish," Lao sighed. He ran two fingers down his thin moustache. "Lunch will be served in half an hour."
"Thank you," the entire group sang out in unison and then stampeded up the stairs to the bedrooms.
Lunch was a raucous affair with Sokka eating far too much and Toph firing random dumplings and chunks of vegetables at everyone, including her parents, both of whom were simmering with repressed anger. The conversation was loud and peppered with the occasional curse, again courtesy of Toph. Poppy looked at her daughter as if she were a stranger, some changling left on her doorstep fourteen years ago, The earthbender was nothing like her parents, though she could put on the aristocratic act as well as the next noblewoman.
"I don't think Toph's parents will be having any of us back soon," Mai whispered to Zuko. "Look at their faces! Reminds me of my parents when I was a kid…before I decided to sit back and shut up."
The eighteen year old Fire Lord glanced at Lao and Poppy. He could see the urge to order every one out on both their faces. "Yeah, I see what you mean."
"Oh, Mai," Sokka called from across the table. "Why are you speaking to one of them? "
"One of them?" Zuko repeated curiously. "What's he talking about?"
"Yes, Sokka," Katara added. "What are you talking about?" The waterbender sat back in her chair, hands folded neatly in her lap and waited for whatever silly reply her brother would come up with.
"Well, let me tell you," Sokka began. His voice was completely serious. "Mai and Suki and I were having a nice conversation outside, when the rest of you were practicing your bending; remember the practice you excluded us from?"
"Oh, get over it," Katara huffed. "You can be so immature, Sokka. Sometimes we benders like to spar amongst ourselves. It keeps things clean and neat."
"Just like battle is," Mai remarked dryly.
Katara narrowed her big blue eyes and looked momentarily irritated. "Okay, battle isn't neat, but we have a system and we like it. Why don't you non benders have your own little practice session?"
"Funny you should mention that," Sokka drawled. "That's exactly what we plan to do. We're forming a club, the non benders club, and you can't join. What do you say to that, little sister?"
Mai slapped a pale hand against her forehead while Suki groaned.
"Are you serious?" Katara laughed. "A club, that we can't join; that's one of the most immature ideas you've ever come up with. We're all part of the same team here, right?" She turned to her boyfriend, Aang, also the most powerful bender among them.
"Well, I, do I have to say something?" He turned pleading grey eyes on his girl, but there was no mercy to be found there. He lowered his head for a moment, gathering the strings of his thoughts. "We are kind of mean to them sometimes, Katara. It's like we think we're better because we can bend and they can't. Maybe they should have their own club. It might make them feel special." He glanced back over at Katara. "That was the wrong thing to say, wasn't it?"
"Hmmph," the water bender replied, tugging at her long brown braid. "You can't depend on anybody. Fine, have your little club and have your little practice. The benders will be doing something else."
Zuko leaned over and spoke softly to Mai. "I wanted to spend time with you this afternoon. I miss you. Can I join your club? I do use swords after all."
Stroking his leg under cover of the table, Mai replied, "You can do anything you like."
"Mai, keep your hands to yourself!" Toph laughed wickedly, mouth open wide and head thrown back.
"That girl is evil," the Fire Lord's girlfriend declared. "That's why I love her."
The group of three, with Zuko tagging along, found a large open space in the gardens and had at it. Suki used her katana and fans while Sokka countered with the second sword he had made himself, this one from ordinary metal. It wasn't quite up to space sword's extraordinary quality in his mind, but he had made it under Piandao's supervision, and that had to count for something. Mai meanwhile threw everything she had at both of them, darts, knives and her sai. It was a good workout, but Mai preferred sparring with Zuko. He could use fire and his swords and after she fought him, Mai was always completely wrung out, but better for the battle, her skills always improved, even if only a little bit.
Besides, she enjoyed watching him move. He was graceful and strong and his body was a sculpted marvel. When he took his shirt off and that thin sheen of sweat made the muscles of his chest glisten, it was all she could do to concentrate. Sokka was Sokka and Suki was Suki; she cared for them both, but they were certainly no wonderful distraction.
"Mai, I get the feeling that your heart isn't in this," the Water Tribesman observed after the first round was finished. He handed her a water skin. Mai discreetly wiped at the opening before taking a few sips. "Why don't you go spar with Zuko. That's what you want, isn't it?"
"Oh, for Agni's sake," Mai snarled, her emotions actually getting the better of her. She threw the skin back at Sokka and stood up, assuming a fighting stance and goading the young man clad in blue. "You want a fight? I'll give you a fight."
From the sidelines, Zuko watched with one wide eye, both of them appreciative. He loved when Mai got feisty. The fact that it didn't happen often, made the times it did all the more special. He wrapped his arms around his knees, inclined his body forward and watched the battle unfold.
Throwing knives was all about precision, accuracy, the proper grip and the proper stance, unless of course you were throwing on the run, which Mai had the uncanny ability to do. Not only could she throw, but she could hit her target too. And when she was fighting for something she believed in or was ticked off, instead of losing control of her knives, she gained even more.
It was almost eerie watching Mai put Sokka in his place. Suki was just an innocent bystander now and watched with amusement as her boyfriend scurried out of the way, rolling around on the grass like a baby mooselion, shrieking like a little girl as Mai's blades got closer and closer to flesh. He swatted away what he could with his sword, but eventually began to lose sight of the fast flying projectiles.
"How many of those things do you have anyway?" he shouted breathlessly. "Do you grow new ones or something?"
"That's my secret," Mai replied as she stalked closer and closer, finally putting the young man out of his misery and pinning him to a conveniently located tree. "Was my heart in that?"
"Yes, ma'am," the warrior squeaked. "I'll never doubt you again."
"Good; now Zuko and I are going to spend the rest of the afternoon together. I don't want to be a part of any club, except our private one." She retrieved all her knives almost as quickly as she had thrown them, slipping them into holsters all over her body. She didn't even have to look; Mai knew where each blade went almost instinctively now. She'd been wearing them for years, after all.
"Um, that was kinda hot," Zuko murmured in Mai's ear as they walked along the garden paths then through the house and up the stairs to their assigned bedroom.
"Figured you might think so," Mai answered, her voice brimming with confidence. "I know what you like."
The Fire Lord replied with equal confidence. "And I know what you like."
"Yeah, you really do." Mai opened the bedroom door and dragged Zuko inside, tugging on the sleeve of his robe. "Now give it to me."