Never Have I Ever
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"—I've never kissed Aang!" Sokka's voice booms. His hand is raised in the air, waiting for a congratulatory high-five that's never going to happen.
Katara glares at her brother and downs her cold rum tea, which tastes a lot more like rum than tea. She makes a face, sticking out her tongue (spirits curse Iroh for letting Sokka into his tea shop!) while Aang blushes furiously beside her, holding his cup of jasmine tea sans alcohol.
Toph is laughing boisterously and punches Katara hard in the shoulder while Zuko watches them all with a nervous sort of grin plastered on his face, which immediately curves downwards into a frown when Mai catches him looking Katara's way.
It's bad enough that Sokka is put in charge of hosting their victory day celebration (they all saw how well his victory day portrait earlier that day had turned out), but the worst part has to be the fact that Mai has been shooting Katara metaphorical daggers all night. It's just bad luck.
Of course the real problem is that Zuko and Katara now got along like a proverbial house on fire (that's what happens when you take lightning for someone). Both are skilled, hot-tempered, loyal, competitive, and much more dangerous than they appear. Put in the same room together they have a habit of laying waste to everything and everyone around them (society at large, really). Put in the same room with a steady supply of alcohol and only one thing can happen: a drinking game.
While Katara is undoubtedly competitive, especially when it comes to competing with Zuko, she has a rather low tolerance for alcohol (she's only just turned fifteen). She can't possibly out-drink Zuko, but she tries. Oh yes, she tries.
"I've never offered Momo as a sacrifice," Katara says, smiling slyly at her brother.
"Crap," Sokka slurs, throwing back his drink, and Toph follows suit.
Aang's eyes bulge out of their sockets. "Toph!"
"What?" The Earthbender hiccups, grinning ruthlessly. "Momo makes for a good sacrifice." She pats the lemur affectionately on the head and it purrs at her ministrations.
"C'mere, Momo!" Sokka suddenly cries. His cheeks are rosy and he spreads his arms wide. The lemur chirps excitedly before flying over to embrace the Water Tribe warrior. It's just another touching Sokka-Momo moment.
"My turn!" Toph says excitedly, and she turns to look at Zuko, giving him a conspiratorial look before smirking. "I've never been banished."
Zuko growls, throws back his cup of cold rum tea, and scowls at the Earthbender. Katara brings a hand to her mouth and snickers loudly, causing Zuko to reach over and gently shove her. This only elicits more laughter and the two can't seem to stop giggling (apparently neither can handle their rum because it's quite the sight to behold 'Fire Lord' Zuko giggling like a schoolgirl).
Needless to say, Mai is not impressed.
Once the laughter dies down, Zuko points at Sokka and Aang with his cup and smiles smugly. "I've never shaved my legs."
Everyone's mouth drops open.
"It was a bet!" Sokka cries in his defence, while Aang remains silent and blushes profusely.
The two boys exchange mortified glances before throwing back their drinks with the girls, minus Toph, of course (trust a blind girl with a sharp knife, would ya?). Toph and Katara are cackling loudly and rolling around on the floor at this point, taking delight in Sokka and Aang's obvious discomfort. Even Mai cracks a smile.
Sokka glares at Katara, who is laughing the loudest, and raises his cup. "I've never kissed Jet!" He closes his eyes and makes dramatic kissing noises at his sister.
Suki's hand comes out of nowhere, slapping Sokka upside the head. He rubs it tenderly, offering his girlfriend his most pathetic 'I'm-sorry-please-don't-hate-me-just-look-at-how-a dorable-I-am' expression.
"YOU KISSED JET?" Both Zuko and Aang cry at once, leaning forward on their hands to look incredulously at Katara.
Everyone is silent, blinking nonplussed in unison, while Mai scowls and then rolls her eyes.
"I never kissed Jet!" Katara yells, angry that she has to defend herself to Aang and Zuko. Who do they think they are—her father or her boyfriend? "And it would be none of your business if I did—the either of you!"
Zuko and Aang sit back down on the floor and offer sheepish grins. Blushing fiercely, they both reach with their hands in unison to nervously rub at the back of their necks.
"I'm next!" Toph pumps an energetic fist in the air, readily changing the subject. "I've never had a crush on two boys at once."
All eyes are suddenly on Katara again, who is scowling so darkly at the Earthbender that one would think she was trying to burn a hole through her skull. Katara then throws back her drink and mutters angrily to herself.
The night carries on in much the same fashion until everyone is fairly inebriated, including Mai (who is a remarkably pleasant drunk) but excluding Aang (the kid will eat egg custard but not drink custard wine). As everyone begins to pass out from sheer exhaustion, Katara stumbles outside for a breath of fresh air. Leaning against the railing, she feels someone approach her from behind her and she turns.
"Hey," Zuko says with a wave, joining her out on the terrace.
"Hey."
Both watch the sun set over Ba Sing Se.
"The war's over," he breathes with a sort of finality, a sense of calm washing over his features, and Katara nods with a smile.
"The war's over. And you're Fire Lord."
"And I'm Fire Lord." He laughs nervously and she joins him. They both edge in a little closer to each other until Zuko's arm is suddenly draped over her shoulder. "I'm glad we're friends, Katara."
"Me too," she says, touching his hand and then blushing as his fingers briefly entwine with hers. "Friends forever, right, Zuko?"
"Forever." He leans in so that his lips brush against her ear. "So who are these two guys you have a crush on?"
Author's notes: I am a little stinker, aren't I? Still unrequited but oh so close to something realised. This is kind of more of a one-shot than a drabble but, meh, I don't care. Incidentally, any time alcohol or hallucinogenics are handled in one of my stories, Sokka and Momo will always be involved. I love Sokka and Momo, okay? Just deal with it. (Oh, and, uhm, I don't condone under-age drinking, even though I have no clue what the drinking age is in the Avatar world. Say "No!" to Cactus Juice and Cold Rum Tea!)
