Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or its characters.

81

Katara slumped dejectedly in her seat, half-heartedly sipping at her mojito.

"Katara," Suki said firmly. "If you're going to look that depressed, a mojito is the wrong drink. You need, like, a whiskey neat, or something."

Katara shuddered. "I can't drink whiskey neat, so I'll have to settle for flouting tradition with this mojito."

"What is your deal? You've literally been down in the dumps for two days, and every time I ask you about it, you skulk off and say everything is fine."

"Skulk?" Katara objected. "What an ugly word."

"Tell me what's wrong," Suki demanded, "or I'll invite Song, and you know she'll get the truth from you. One way or another."

"Oh, Spirits, don't. She'll see right through me and offer me punchy advice. Song and depression don't mix."

Suki snorted. "Do I mix better with depression?"

"You are, like, weirdly moody and secretly self-deprecating, so, yea."

"Great," Suki said. "Then you can explain what's got you so down."

Katara looked down at the mint leaf floating in the middle of her drink, resting peacefully amongst the cool fluids. She wondered what it would be like to be that weightless. "Aang got offered a job- a really good job- in the Fire Nation."

"Oh. Well that's good, but... Fuck."

Katara avoided Suki's eyes. "I think he should take it because he's been through so much and he deserves it, and, most importantly, he wants it. He keeps saying he wants me more, that he'll never resent me for being the reason he left his opportunity behind." Her eyes began to sting. "But how could he know? He gets paid shit at his gym, but he works there because he loves to help people. This new job could let him help so many people, and three years down the line, Kuzon's gym will have all these incredible clients and success stories, and Aang will still be pouring cappuccinos for girls who ask him for his number. And he'll tell them, 'no, I can't date you, I stayed here in this shit city instead of going to make a real difference in a field I'm passionate about because of my girlfriend. She's over there, pouring tea; look at us. What a triumph of romance.'"

Suki blinked, a moment of shocked silence at Katara's outburst falling over them. Katara's head dropped into her hands in embarrassment.

She felt Suki pull her close. "We don't know what will happen, yet, Katara. You can't know all of that."

"I'm caught between a rock and a hard place," Katara sniffed. "I'm either the anchor holding him in place, or the deadweight he leaves behind."

"Forgive me if I'm missing something," Suki said slowly. "But, why don't you just go with him?"

Katara laughed bitterly between teardrops. "I tried. I looked into it. Moving I could afford, though rent in the Fire Nation Capitol is high. I figured I could work two jobs." She sipped at her drink. "But, when I went to the admins for school, they said my credits wouldn't even transfer, unless there were 'special circumstances'."

"What are 'special circumstances'?"

"Not moving away with your boyfriend."

Suki tapped her lips thoughtfully. "You could get married."

Katara stared at her.

"What?" Suki asked defensively.

"I thought you didn't like marriage."

"For Spirits' sake, I don't have a problem with marriage in general. It's just that I'm nervous about the thought of getting married," Suki explained.

Katara raised one brow. "That's quite the distinction."

"It is," Suki insisted.

"So, my brother isn't the problem."

"No, of course not!" Suki objected. "I love Sokka. And weren't we talking about you, anyway?"

Katara dropped her head back into her hands. "No, we're not. There's no point."

"Spirits," Suki breathed. "Now who's weirdly moody and self-deprecating?"

"Just ask," Toph said, exasperated, as Aang spoke on the phone with Kuzon.

Aang shushed her. "You're being rude," he whispered.

"Just ask him what the job entails," she said again, ignoring him. "How can you say a flat 'no' when you don't have all the details?"

"Shut up, please- no, not you, Kuzon, sorry. It's Toph." He shot the blind girl a dark look. "She wants me to ask you what the job entails. Yea, like what kind of hours, what kind of pay-" he cut off as Kuzon launched into the sales pitch.

"See?" Toph muttered smugly to Sokka at the look of surprise on Aang's face. Her elbow dug painfully into Sokka's ribs. "He wants it so bad."

"I don't see why you're antagonizing him, Toph," Sokka said. "This is really hard for both him and my sister. And me."

"You? Why you?"

"If he agrees to this, I'll be losing my friend. And roommate."

Toph scoffed. "And his rent."

"That, too."

In the background, Aang whistled. "Spirits, that's... how is that kind of paycheck even possible? You said you hadn't even opened yet."

The garbled voice on the other end of the phone began to speak again.

"I can't believe you already have that many clients. Guaranteed for a year? Wow."

"He's got him," Toph murmured gleefully.

"Toph, shut the fuck up," Sokka said. "Quit making me upset that my friend is considering joining a successful business venture. How you've managed to taint this is beyond me."

"Ha ha. You said 'taint'."

Sokka bit his lip to keep from chortling with her. "You're a fucking child."

Aang spoke up again. "Well, I still don't think I can take this. I won't leave Katara, and... Yes, you told me about the paid vacation days." He ran a hand across his brow. "It sounds amazing, Kuzon. Truly. But two weekends a month in Ba Sing Se isn't enough to sustain the relationship I want."

"Is it terrible of me to kind of hate Kuzon for not offering me a job?" Toph asked.

"No," Sokka said. "I wish he'd offer me one. I'm fit. I can exercise. I feel like teaching other people to exercise can't be that hard."

"Are you fit?" Toph asked curiously. She reached out and pressed her forefinger firmly into his bicep. "Yep, that feels like a muscle."

Sokka scowled at her, rubbing his bruised arm as Aang hung up the phone. "Well?" Sokka asked him. "Did that help at all?"

"All it did was make it harder to say 'no'. The amenities are amazing." Aang frowned. "Kuzon really set up his business to take care of his people, both clients and employees."

"What an asshole," Toph cackled. "It's almost like he told you everything you wanted to hear. An ethical, lucrative business venture in a line of work that interests you. Kuzon is really being so selfish, putting you in a position like this."

Aang groaned. "Why do I ever listen to you, Toph? One minute you're motivating me, telling me I'm a fighter who can accomplish my dreams-"

"Toph said that?" Sokka asked in disbelief.

"-And the next, you're making the decision even harder by manipulating me into researching the job." Aang scowled at her.

"You're not mad at me," Toph said offhandedly. "You're mad because you love that job."

"Well, I love Katara more."

"I have a plan for her, too," Toph replied with a toss of her choppy, black hair.

Sokka sighed. "You can't get rid of my sister. I'd have to fight you, and that would look really bad for me, you know, public-image wise."

"Because I'm short?" Toph asked solemnly.

"Shut the fuck up," Sokka said again. "Maybe I'll have Katara fight you. She's even more stubborn than you. She'd outlast you."

Toph grinned. "I'm telling you, I've got a plan. Have a little faith in The Toph."

"I don't have faith in anyone who refers to themselves in the third person," Aang muttered.

A/N: you guys see the storm brewing. I've gotten some asks not to hurt you. It's not going to be super super angsty and I love happy endings. Take that as you will.