Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or its characters.
33
"Rent is going up- can you believe this bullshit?" Suki steamed, slapping a sheet of paper onto the counter top where Sokka was diligently studying.
He reached for it, scanning it quickly. 'New ownership'... 'rent will increase'... 'employment opportunities'... "They're building a café on the first floor?" he repeated. "That might be nice."
"Not if it makes rent go up," Suki argued.
"Well, it says here that there are employment opportunities at the café," he countered. "Maybe you could apply there, since 'Chit Sang's' laid you off."
Sokka leaned back at the murderous expression that crossed her face. She practically bared her teeth at him.
"Or not," he amended hastily. "Up to you."
Her expression relaxed somewhat, and she sat down heavily on the bar stool next to his. Sighing, her head dropped onto her crossed arms, and he rubbed her back comfortingly.
"It looks like we're going to be, like, a real-deal high-end apartment building," Sokka commented. "Somebody finally noticed that this gem of a building is falling apart."
"You did get stuck in the elevator the other day," came an amused but muffled response from between Suki's arms.
"Are you laughing at my misfortune?"
"What else is your misfortune for?"
"Not for your benefit," Sokka countered haughtily. "Was there a man in a fancy uniform handing out these flyers? Or did they just stuff it into our mailbox the way they usually do?"
Suki's head came back up, a red mark on her forehead from where it had been resting against her arm. "Actually, there was a guy I've never seen before. He said the new owner was his uncle."
Sokka grinned, nudging her. "See, we've got an in. You already know the owner's nephew."
"I don't think the conversation he and I had was the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Suki answered dubiously.
"Stuffy, was he?"
"More like reticent," Suki corrected. "But, I thought I might have seen him smile by the end our little chat."
Sokka laughed. "Sounds like you charmed the pants off of him. Should I plan the wedding, or shall I wait a bit?"
She eyed him suspiciously. "This is the second time you've mentioned weddings this week. Do you have something you want to tell me?"
"The season finale of 'Ba Sing Se's Most Eligible' has me maudlin," he grinned impishly. "I only wish I could have what Hahn has."
"I haven't seen it," Suki muttered, avoiding his eyes.
"Oh, yes, you have."
"At any rate," Suki said, changing the subject, "I don't think me and Mr. Leopard-Eyes hit it off."
"'Mr. Leopard-Eyes'?" Sokka repeated blankly.
Suki blushed. "He never told me his name, but he had these crazy golden eyes. They were beautiful."
"He sounds dreamy," Sokka gushed sarcastically, resting his chin on the back of one hand, and deftly avoiding a swat from Suki. "You're terrible at picking nicknames," he laughed. "What do you call me, when I'm not around?"
"Oh, your nickname practically picked itself," she said, chuckling.
"What is it?"
"'Idiot'."
He clapped his hand over his heart in mock affront, but Suki ignored him, her eyes gliding over the flyer on the table before them.
She heaved a sigh. "I guess I'll have to get another job," she muttered, toying with the edge of the flyer.
"There's no rush, per se," Sokka answered quietly. "I can help you, if you need it. If you'd accept it."
Suki smiled, leaning forward to kiss him, a gentle brushing of lips. "That's sweet," she said. But she frowned a little, looking once more at the crumpled sheet of paper. "But I can't rely on charity alone. Looks like I'm about to be a barista."
"You could start now," Sokka said hopefully. "I could go for some coffee." Again, he leaned away at the withering look she gave him. "I hope your customer service skills are better than this when you actually start working there."
"You know, I didn't get the chance to comment before, but you have a nice ass," Katara sighed appreciatively, leaning against the bathroom wall as she brushed her teeth.
The owner ass in question was bared a few feet away, having freshly emerged the shower. "Thanks," Aang answered modestly, wrapping a towel around his hips. "Yours is nice, too," he added.
Katara gave a little mock bow before leaning over the sink to spit her toothpaste into the drain. She eyed him through the mirror, openly admiring him as he toweled off.
"Wait," she called when he reached for his t-shirt. She darted to him, her hand laying over his as he froze in place.
"What?"
She bit her lip. "I just- I wasn't done admiring you."
The perplexed look her face would have made her laugh, if her heart wasn't a thumping a loud tattoo in her chest.
"Was that a silly thing to say?" she asked nervously.
He shook his head. "No. It's just, I think you might be the only person in the world that finds me this attractive. It's still a little insane to me. Five years on the dating scene, and I can't say I've ever drummed up this kind of uninhibited attraction from a girl before. Well, except for Mrs. Morishita- one of my clients," he added wryly.
Katara gave him a teasing nudge with her elbow. "I've got competition, have I?"
"Not at all," Aang said, laughing. "She's, like, fifty. She couldn't hold a candle to you."
"She might have the edge on me, though," Katara joked, pretending to tap one finger against her lips in speculation. "Workout scenarios can be very sexy. Remember ours?" She grinned wickedly. "I do. Fondly."
"You caught me," Aang sighed, raising his hands in mock defeat. "When Mrs. Morishita pretended today that it was an 'accident' that her hand brushed my ass, I was wildly aroused."
Katara grinned. "Well, we've already established how nice your ass is. Are there any other spots she 'accidentally' brushes up against? I'm not a fan of sexual harassment, myself, but I can't argue that she has a good eye."
Aang shuddered. "No, it's usually just an unnecessary amount of demonstrations. Although, she did once tell me that I have 'eyes like the underside of a storm cloud'."
"How poetic," Katara chuckled. She leaned forward, peering into his eyes curiously. "She may be right about that, though. Come closer; let me get a better look."
She reached for him, one finger hooking gently around the edge of her towel to pull him closer. The towel came loose, descending quickly to the floor, but he caught it in the nick of time. He pressed it against himself with one hand to preserve what little modesty he could.
"What do we have here?" Suki drawled from the doorway, gliding past them almost indifferently as she went to brush her teeth.
Katara flushed with mortification.
"This actually isn't what it looks like," Aang began desperately, his cheeks a spectacular shade of red.
"That's a shame," Suki lamented with a wicked grin. "Though, far be it from me to tell two consenting adults when and where they should have sex, you should probably avoid common spaces." She gave Katara a pointed look before cocking her ear towards the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. "Unless you want to explain to your brother what's going on here."
The tiled bathroom echoed with the sounds of their scramble to put some space between them before Sokka's arrival.
A/N: in response to the guest reviewer who left an apprehensive comment (we'll call it 'apprehensive' for lack of a better word, LMAO) about an Aang-Zuko-Katara love triangle... rest at ease, reviewer. I hate love triangles as much as it appears you do. But have a little faith in me, geeze lmao.