Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or it's characters.

41

"So, what did they say?" Suki whispered, leaning into Sokka as if she were afraid of being overheard.

"Who?"

"3F... obviously."

"Why are you whispering?" he asked. "They can't hear us."

She made a face at him. "Because, I'm mortified. What did they say?"

"The girl was kind of pissed," Sokka said, sighing. "But the guy was cool about it. The girl asked why we didn't check who it was for if none of us knew who it was from." He gave her an impish grin, and she swatted him.

"It was sitting on our doorstep, and the font was some stupid fancy calligraphy- the 'F' looked like an 'E', to me," Suki protested. "Anyone could have made that mistake. In fact, someone else did- the delivery guy. What did you tell them?"

"I told them that you saw the flowers and went bananas, assuming it was from me- and then promptly freaked the fuck out because it mentions 'rings' and 'love'," he explained. He grinned again, but this time, it didn't touch his eyes.

Suki panicked. "It was just... it seemed so fast- and with the newlywed game... I wasn't expecting love... and it isn't that I don't feel that- "

"Speak much?"

"Shut up." She frowned. "I'm trying to tell you something serious."

"Well, don't," he sighed. "I didn't- and wouldn't- send you something like that because you're clearly not ready for it."

Suki bit her lip, unsure of how to respond.

"I'm sure you'll tell me... whatever you need to tell me... when you're ready," he said, looking down at his hands.

"You haven't told me... that... either," she murmured.

"And I already told you why."

She looked at him tentatively, through a fan of dark lashes. "That doesn't mean you don't feel it."

He held her gaze. "No, it doesn't mean that."

His eyes were solemn, surety and indecision in equal measure. Her heart stopped beating for a moment.

And the front door banged open as Katara stormed in, her anger a shroud that hovered around her like a cloak. "Where's Aang?" she demanded.

Silently, Sokka pointed to Aang's closed bedroom door. But when he turned back to Suki, the moment they shared, the heavy quiet, was gone.

"Hit save," Aang muttered to himself, tapping the little icon, and then pumped his fists in the air. For once, he was ahead of the game. A ten page paper, due in a week, completed and ready to send in.

He spun in his swivel chair, grinning at the catharsis of spinning his stress away, when his bedroom door banged open.

Katara's eyes were wide and turbulent, the steely blue of waves crashing against a rocky coastline, and just as unforgiving.

He faltered. "Is everything alright?" he asked, worried.

She shut the door firmly behind her. "I don't know, Aang. I was just having lunch with Mai and Ty Lee, and we were interrupted by a friend of theirs. You might know her. Her name is Toph, and she had the most fascinating things to say."

Aang almost shied away at her murderous expression. "I get the feeling it wasn't actually fascinating."

"Oh, no. It was very fascinating," she snapped. "Would you care to hear?"

Aang was certain he knew exactly what Toph had told her, but he had a feeling Katara was going to tell him, regardless of his answer. It looked as though Sokka had been correct in his assessment that his sister was a terror when she was in a temper. Aang had had occasion to see her angry a time or two, but he'd never received the full brunt of it.

"How about I just tell you," Katara hissed as Aang floundered to respond. "I just learned that your dear friend Toph used you as a tool to move out of her parents house, by telling them- get this- that you two are dating! Now, I'll bet you're wondering how that conversation started," she said sarcastically. "It was when she announced to me something to the effect of: 'Don't worry, I'm not in love with your boyfriend'."

Aang blanched.

"Can you imagine my fucking relief?" Katara asked acidly. She folded her arms over her chest, looking every inch a Water Tribe Warrior from the legends of old. No wonder they had been considered so fearsome. "Explain yourself," she commanded.

"I know I should have told you," Aang began, opting- perhaps too late- for complete honesty. "I know that. But she only told her parents- that's it, no one else- and it didn't seem worth upsetting you over. Toph and I are not like that- I even asked her, and she literally laughed in my face." He reached for her, willing her to understand, but she stepped away from him. His hands fell. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I was trying to do the opposite. You've been through so much already- I didn't want to the the cause of... of, well, this." He gestured helplessly between them.

"Instead, you made it worse," she said quietly, but her eyes softened when he nodded miserable agreement.

"I'm so sorry," he mumbled.

"You said you wanted to do this 'seriously'," she said, waving her hand in their, as if their fledgling relationship occupied the space around them. "That's what you told me. And then, at the first test of loyalty, you lied to me- no, that's what you did, don't try to make an excuse," she snarled when he opened his mouth to protest. "You didn't trust me- and this situation isn't even that big of a fucking deal, Aang. It's annoying, sure. Immature of Toph, and we- you and I- could have been laughing about her presumptuousness. Now, we're fighting about it instead. Is this what you wanted?"

"No!" he insisted, standing from his chair. He went to her, his hands resting in her shoulders, but she drew away from him. "No, this is what I was trying to avoid, Katara. You're right, I messed up. But I do want to do this seriously," he said, practically begging her to understand. "I was afraid you'd see this as some sort of sign not to continue." He hung his head. "I'm an idiot."

"Why didn't you trust me?" she asked softly. "You lied to me. Why should I trust you?"

He looked at her helplessly, unable to answer.

"You can't have love without trust, Aang," she said, before a flicker of embarrassment darted across her face. "I mean- I'm not saying I'm in love with you. I'm saying, if we ever have the chance of even getting there... you get what I'm saying, right?" she concluded lamely. "I'm saying, like... how can we even pursue this, 'seriously', if you're so afraid I'll leave that you didn't even give me the chance to stay?"

"Are you leaving, then?" he asked miserably.

"Not yet," she said after a moment, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "I still have some questions."

"Like what?"

She drew in a deep breath. "Tell me about your last roommate."

A/N: digging into the backstory, soon. No story without a little drama.