"So, what are you getting dressed up for?" Sokka asked.
"Going out." Toph answered as she pulled the yellow tank down to cover the top of the green jeans.
"Girls night out, huh? So what, you're going to have a few fruity drinks and talk trash about us guys?"
"Not really," she said, then she turned to the door because she felt Katara and Azula coming.
Katara walked into the room with a smile on her face "Are you ready?" Azula stepped in behind her.
Toph pulled on her green cropped sweater "I guess so."
"Good, cause he's here." Katara said, nearly bouncing out of her skin.
"He's here?" Toph's eyes stretched, suddenly she felt nervous
Sokka squinted. "He?"
Azula looked at him and squinted "Yes 'he' you doofus."
"Okay. You guys go and stall him while I brush my hair." Toph said walking over to the dresser and gliding her hand along the edge until the tips of her fingers touched the brush.
"Okay." Katara sang, almost skipping out of the room.
"Hey Sunshine," Toph called to Azula.
"Yeah?"
"How does he look?"
She shrugged "He's okay."
Toph smiled "Thanks."
"See you when you get downstairs." Azula turned and left the room.
Toph turned her ear to Sokka's direction as she brushed "I can hear you grumbling under your breath."
He raised and eyebrow at her "You have a date."
"Yeah."
"With a guy."
"Weren't you listening?" Yeah."
"Who is this guy anyway? Where did you meet him?"
She dropped her hands to her sides in frustration "His name is Satoru. I met him last week at that party me and Honey worked. His uncle owns the company."
He squinted one eye "And you're going out with him."
She threw her head back "Yes Sokka. We were talking about bending and I mentioned metal bending and he was all fascinated. He wanted to show me the factory and offered to feed me after so I said yes…no big deal."
"So why didn't you tell me?" he said just a little louder.
Toph got loud right back "Because I knew you would act like this." she walked toward the door "Bye Sokka."
She made her way down the stairs and he followed her, stopping at the bottom step when she made it to the young man. Satoru greeted Toph enthusiastically and she rushed him out the door waving a quick goodbye to her friends.
"He's handsome." Katara sighed.
"I like his hair." Azula commented.
"He's a skinny little four-eyed geek." Sokka groused before he turned back to the stairs leaving the two princesses looking at his back in confusion.
He hadn't heard his name that way in a very long time. It was a breathless expression of pleasure accompanied by fingers curling tightly into his hair. He pressed one palm tighter against the surface of the table and the other more into the curve of her back, pulling her closer to him and drawing a high pitched squeak and another whisper of his name in his ear.
"Oh, Hakoda." she keened into his clavicle.
(a little earlier)
They hadn't thought this snow storm would of brought them together in this way, but being caught in the house with no one else around they got to know each other so much more. The conversation eventually turned to sexual things, and before they knew it Ursa was on the kitchen table with her legs wrapped around Hakoda's neck and his face buried between her legs..
It was apropos that they ended up on the kitchen table, after all, that's where they'd had most of their conversations over coffee or a meal before or after Hakoda went out to take care of his tribe. It's where they'd gone from judgmental acquaintances to friends and now to lovers.
They rested against each other, exhausted. The rush of adrenaline had subsided and they'd just flopped against each other. When his legs started to wobble Hakoda knew it was time to give up.
"Hee, I'm getting too old for this." he chuckled before he took a slow few steps backward and reached down to pull his pants up from around his ankles. He offered her his hand and she slid down onto her feet.
"You could of fooled me." Ursa said with a smile and a blush as she pushed her hair behind her ear. She looked around to see where her underwear and pants had been cast off to.
Hakoda pulled her to him and tucked his head between her hair and her cheek "Find them later." and he led her to his bedroom.
Pàomò drove up, got out of the car and walked over to the front step where Suki was sitting "Hey. Ez ready to go?"
"Yeah." she stood up "Let me go get him."
"Cool. Oh and make sure he brings that new toy he's always talking about. He 'bout drove me crazy talking about that thing last time."
She stopped and turned around "New toy? What new toy?"
"His 'Zuzu'. I figured one of your friends bought him a stuffed animal or something. He keeps talking about how he watches movies with Zuzu everyday."
Suki held her hand up to her mouth and laughed but before she could say anything Ezra came running out of the door "Daddy!"
"Hey there Ezzy." he opened his arms for the boy to jump into and he closed them tight around him "What are you up to?"
"Playin' wit' Zuzu."
"We were just talking about Zuzu. Why don't you go get him."
The boy jumped down "Okay." and ran back into the dojo."
"Look. Pàomò," Suki said walking back out to the edge of the step "You gotta know. Zuzu is not a toy, it's-"
Ezra came out holding the man's hand "Daddy, it's Zuzu."
The man's eyebrows gathered as he looked up at his son holding the Fire Nation Prince's hand "This is Zuzu?" he asked in shock.
The prince pouted "Only two people call me that."
Pàomò looked at Suki accusingly "And one is my son." he said quietly "Would you be the other."
Suki crossed her arms "No, that would be my sister." Zuko answered curtly.
Suki gave Pàomò a disappointed head shake and reached out to their son "Come on, Love. Let's get your bag." and the two of them went into the dojo.
Pàomò and Zuko stood and eyed each other for a moment before Zuko turned to go inside. "Hey, hold on a second." Zuko stopped and turned back around "Look, I don't know what's going on between you and Suk-"
"Nothing's going on." Zuko answered, wondering where Pàomò was going with this.
He shrugged "It's not my business. But what is my business is my son. Don't think Suki needs some hero to come swooping in and help her raise her poor, fatherless boy, because she doesn't." he pointed to his chest "Ezra is my son and he always will be. He has a father who loves him, and would do anything for him and he doesn't need some guy to come in and play daddy so he can cozy up to his mother."
Zuko frowned at the local man and stepped down off the porch "I have never once tried to" he held up finger quotes "play daddy" he put his hands down "with your son. For some reason he likes hanging out with me, and he's a pretty cool kid, so I don't mind. He calls me 'Zuzu' because my sister told him to so it could irritate me, but I don't mind that either. I know you're a good father because Suki told us so." He extended a hand "And I respect that. More kids need a dad like you."
Pàomò looked at Zuko's hand and shook it "Thanks" he smiled "Zuzu."
They released hands "Don't call me that." he smiled a bit too.
When they turned around Suki was standing on the porch looking totally dumbfounded and Ezra ran to his father's car. He gave Zuko and Suki a two finger salute "Whelp, see you guys in a few days." he winked at them "Enjoy the freedom."
Zuko walked back onto the porch as he pulled off. "What was that all about?" Suki asked as he got to her.
He shrugged "We just got a little understanding, that's all."
"Uh huh." she looked at him "And the wink and freedom remark?"
Zuko held his head down, trying to hide his blush behind his long hair "He seems to think there's something going on between us."
"Hmm." she looked out into the yard "Is he wrong?"
Zuko eyes shot up to her. Her cheeks were a little red too "Um. I don't know."
She looked at him "Well. Just because Ezra isn't home doesn't mean you can't still come up and watch movies sometimes." she kissed him on the cheek "And we don't have to watch cartoons."
He stared at her as she pushed his hair behind his ear "Uh…o-okay" he stuttered as he watched her walk into the dojo.
Aang jumped down off of Appa's saddle and landed toe to toe with Katara "Sorry I'm going to be gone so long this time." he said as he pulled her into a hug.
She rested her head on his shoulder "I know. It's okay. You didn't pick this job, it picked you."
He laughed "Yeah. Literally." he pressed her hair back with his nose and whispered in her ear "I'll miss you. I'll contact you every day."
She smiled "I know you will." she looked up at him "I love you."
His smile wavered thinking about how long he'd be gone "I love you too." then he said "I'll miss you." again.
"Don't worry," she tried to reassure him "three months isn't all that long. We've been apart longer."
"I know." he pulled her closer "but that was before you were in love with me."
She held her nose up "And who said I was in love with you."
His wicked, crooked smile appeared "You did," he leaned back to her hair "last night." she giggled and slapped his chest "and this morning."
She laughed and shoved him a little "Shut up Aang."
"And a couple hours ago." he sighed "I don't want to go."
She kissed him "Leave already so you can hurry up and come back."
"Okay." he kissed her "I'm going to marry you one day."
She smiled "I just might let you."
Sokka threw his duffle across his shoulder and went down to the common room "Alright guys, I'll be back in a couple of months."
He sister stood up to go get her shoes so she could walk to the pier with him and everyone else said small goodbyes, everyone except for Toph.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
He pulled the strap of his bag higher up on his shoulder "To the Earth Kingdom. Moo Chee has a few more jobs for me, starting with outfitting his yacht." He waved and headed for the door
She got up and followed him "You didn't tell me you were leaving." she mumbled
He looked down at her "I wasn't aware that we were obligated to tell each other everything. At least that's the example you made." he grumbled back "Why do you care anyway. Isn't your boyfriend due back in town? You two can go out every night for a week like you did last time."
"You ready?" Katara asked as she got near the door.
"Yeah. I am." he opened the door and walked out.
"Are you walking with us Toph?" she asked looking at her friend.
She held her head down and shook it "No. I'm staying here."
Ozai was irritated. These people claimed to be loyal to him. They claimed they would do anything to push him closer to his crown, but how could he trust them when they couldn't do one simple thing.
"Why can no one find her." he yelled, sitting forward in his hair and pulling at his hair "She's a young woman. They should of found a credit card statement, an email, a tweet, something."
"She's my daughter, my prodigy, my heir. I need her by my side. Her mother may have poisoned her against me, but once I've had a chance to talk to her, undo her mother and uncle's brain washing there will be nothing that can stop me. I'll finish my grandfather's work. First I will take the Fire Nation, then, when the world is mine I'll give it to my daughter as a trinket."
Ozai turned to Namae "And none of it will be possible without your help.
Well, as you can see the vote was for Ursa and Hakoda to do the do. It was overwhelming. Only one person voted against it (I'm sorry) so there you go. Sorry it wasn't as graphic as some of you may have wanted, but I'm not thought with them yet.
I'm excited. Not only is the next chapter the 50th, but I'm also finally at the part I've been working towards.
Oh, so much is about to happen…I'm actually giddy about it. This is going to be fun.
