Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or its characters.

75

Katara was stunning in a tight miniskirt and a cardigan, and she knew it. Aang had done a double-take when she'd stepped out of her room, a hopeless blush coloring his cheeks. She'd reveled in it. That, and the way he'd pressed her against the wall to kiss her passionately, his eyes burning when he'd pulled away.

His voice had still been a bit dazed when he'd murmured that he had changed his mind, that they should stay in for the night. Lock the door and not come until noon the next day. But she had smiled and pushed him away gently. "I want my date," she'd said firmly.

So, here they were, nestled into the leather booths at the local hole-in-the-wall Water Tribe restaurant. "As promised," Aang said, holding his hands up and gesturing to the place as if the faded Tribal motifs and moth-eaten animal skins had been his idea.

Katara laughed. "Very nice. You weren't kidding about the homey feel, though." She looked around. "This place has some miles on it."

"But their Water Tribe food is the best," Aang promised. "And you were talking at our dinner with Toph about how much you love food from home."

She smiled warmly at his good memory. "I did, you're right."

And he was right. The food was delicious, earthy and well-spiced, a reminder of meals in her family's little kitchen, a thousand years ago.

"Thanks for this, Aang," she said in between bites of smoked salmon. "I didn't realize how much I missed cuisine from home until now."

He grinned over his wild rice pilaf, one cheek puffed out still with food. "I thought you might say that," he said after he swallowed. "We can come here more, if you want."

"That sounds great."

"Actually," he said, "maybe we could come here in a couple weeks. A friend of mine will be in town, Kuzon. He lives in the Fire Nation, but he's in town for a physical therapy seminar." He must have noticed the way her eyes lit up, because he laughed affectionately. "I thought that might pique your interest. Yea, he's going to school for the same thing as you. I think you'll really like him. He's really cool."

Katara smiled smugly. "Anyone with the same major as me as cool."

"What about me?"

"You're cool by association with me," she said, tossing her hair. "Lucky for you."

"It is lucky for me." He smirked at her. "Not as lucky as later, though."

She blinked, nonplussed. "Why? What are we doing later?"

He gestured back and forth between them with his fork. "Well, each other. Hopefully."

"We'll see how the date goes," she laughed. Their waitress stopped by, depositing their drinks on the table. Katara took a deep sip of her mojito, reveling in the taste.

Aang chuckled as he took a drink of his beer. "Now, I feel like it's a test or something."

"No tests here," she said. "I'll be happy with whatever we do tonight. Within reason. Some things are off-limits."

Aang nodded seriously. "Murder?"

"Did you have someone in mind?" Katara asked, leaning her cheek against one hand.

"No one in particular," he said. "Just like, you know... generally speaking, I feel like murder should be off-limits."

Katara smiled. "Sound advice."

"I try."

"Well, well, well," came a familiar voice, and Katara groaned. Her head dropped involuntarily into her hands. "If it isn't my two favorite love-birds."

Aang turned to the speaker, a tight smile across his face, but his tone betrayed nothing. "Hey, Toph. What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Toph scooted into the seat next to Aang, bumping him with her hip to scoot him further down. "I came here for the reindeer sausage, but I'll stay for the company."

"Great," Katara muttered under her breath. "Just how I wanted to spend the evening."

"No!" Suki snapped. "You did it, now you have to deal with the consequences."

"I didn't think you were going to take it so personally!" Sokka protested.

Suki stood from her seat at the table, stalking over to the kitchen to dump her plate into the sink. "Personally? How was I not supposed to take that personally? There's no one else here, Sokka."

"It doesn't mean anything. You're making a big deal out of nothing."

She leaned against the counter top. "I'll decide what's a big deal."

"Not this." He stood up, too, joining her at the kitchen counter. One hand reached out, pulling her to face him. "Don't you think you're being just a little ridiculous?"

"Ridiculous?" she scoffed. She tilted her head back to get a good look at him as he hovered over her, a smug look on his stupid handsome face.

He nodded. "I didn't think you'd get so up in arms about something so small-"

"There's a difference between being offended and standing my ground." She sounded more confident than she was, though. The span of his shoulders blocked out the rest of the room.

"Consider me educated," Sokka said. He leaned toward her, and she breathed in his scent, heady and smoky and strong. "So, you're not going to back down?"

She bit her lip. "Of- of course not!"

He stared at her, the cobalt blue of his eyes piercing, smoldering. She wondered how the color of ice could burn. His tongue swept his lower lip, and she felt a hot twinge below her stomach. "Not even a little bit?"

"...No?" It was more of a question than a statement, and she almost shuddered at the wicked smirk he gave her.

Suki felt a flare of heat. Who was he to question her? She opened her mouth to tell him so, but suddenly she couldn't speak, because he was on her, his hands circling her waist as he lifted her onto the kitchen counter, his lips slanting over hers as he ripped his shirt over his head. Her own shirt followed moments later, and she had a split second to appreciate the cold surface of the kitchen counter top against her back before her mind was entirely focused on every sensation and yet nothing at all. His hand slid up the inside of her thigh, and she was gone.

Later, as he lay panting against her, he lifted his face to rest his chin on her sternum. "How about now?" he asked smugly.

"You're a dickhead."

"I'm not the sore loser, here, Suki," he laughed. "If you can't handle losing at Uno, maybe you shouldn't play."

"Three 'Draw Fours' in a row, Sokka? For Spirit's sake, man. I've my pride."

He chuckled again and turned his head away, his tongue sliding gently across her collarbone, and the hot twinge returned with a vengeance. "Never do this in public, Suki. This temper of yours is my weakness." He looked up at her, his eyes searing through hers. "So. Fucking. Hot."

She sat up primly, pushing him out of the way. "Well, then don't be an asshole at Uno." Hopping down from the counter, she bent down to pick up his shirt and tug it over her head. "Clean the counter top off," she ordered imperiously. Then a grin spread across her cheeks. "I'll be waiting in my room. If it's my temper that turns you on-"

"Among other things-"

"If it's my temper that turns you on, I'm sure I can arrange other things to get pissed at you for." With a wink, she turned on her heel and strode away.

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