Setting: At least a year has passed since the end of the war. Aang and Katara are whatever age you need them to be for you to be comfortable with their actions in this story.

Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph were at Fire Lord Zuko's palace for an event celebrating the ongoing cooperation between the new United Republic and the Fire Nation. The cocktail hour was just finishing; next would be entertainment, dinner, and finally, dancing.

To Sokka, of course, it was the perfect setting for a little prank. He put his arms around Aang and Toph and explained his plan. "I made a special drink for Zuko, to help him with his speech. It's a mix of rum, vodka, tequila, and so much dragonfruit juice and sugar he won't even be able to taste the alcohol."

"Is that a good idea? Won't it make him mess up?" Aang fretted.

"It'll make him loosen up," Toph disagreed.

"It'll make him less boring," Sokka clarified.

"I fully support anything that makes these events more entertaining," Toph declared.

"I knew you'd be with me," Sokka ruffled the earthbender's hair. "Now where is that drink?"

"You mean this?" Katara came up behind him, holding an empty pitcher.

"Uh, yeah." Sokka answered, paling. "You—didn't drink all that, did you, sis?"

"I sure did! It was great! I was so thirsty after our training session this afternoon, and then Aang and I had a couple dances," she elbowed her boyfriend and hiccupped. "Is there any more?"

"No. You're done." Sokka took the pitcher out of her hands, face falling in dismay. "Shit. I was going to split that with Zuko. She just drank enough to get two men plastered, and she's not that big!"

"I'm big enough to whip your butt!" Katara vowed, pulling some water out of the nearby glasses.

Aang restrained her with one arm, while bending the water away from her as well. "Not in the middle of the party," he cautioned.

"I'll get you later," Katara promised her brother, letting Aang back her away. She pointed her two fingers at her eyes and then at him as if to say, I'm watching you. He responded with an unthreatened Psh!, shrugging his shoulders, and throwing up one open palm.

The whole crowd was being ushered into the auditorium for the night's presentation: music and speeches from guests representing the Fire Nation and the United Republic. Aang wondered if it might be best to sit on an aisle with Katara, in case he needed to get her out of there, but they ended up in the middle of a long row, next to Toph and Sokka. They wouldn't be able to escape without stepping over a dozen people.

On the platform, the master of ceremonies introduced their host, speaking in hyperbolic, grandiose language that made Aang cringe. Seated on the stage, his head bowed, Zuko seemed to agree. He had been thoroughly humbled by his adventures and hated to hear himself praised.

Katara, Aang knew, felt the same way, only more strongly. It always rubbed her wrong when the Fire Lord got too much admiration for doing what she considered the bare minimum. A couple of times she had even brought up the "Not As Much of a Jerk as You Could Have Been" Award she had wanted to give him at the Western Air Temple. Now, he felt her cross her arms and heard her snicker when Zuko was called "the Fire Nation's Redeemer," and "our peacemaking leader."

"You're the peacemaker, not him," she elbowed Aang. Her voice was not modulated in the least, despite the setting. He nodded agreement and put his finger to his lips to remind her where they were.

That was when the MC took a personal turn: "We all wait eagerly for the day when our handsome Fire Lord takes a wife and gives us a prince or princess…."

Katara burst into giggles, "He wouldn't be the one giving anyone a baby! He doesn't have the parts! It would be Mai!" Then she made a disgusted face. "Ugh, poor Mai! Can you imagine?"

Though he had the urge to laugh, Aang made a serious face and tried again to quiet his girlfriend.

Finally the MC was finished. The Fire Lord stood and took the podium. Zuko had been nervous about speaking, and the airbender had tried to support his friend with some helpful feedback and an encouraging pep talk this afternoon. Despite the embarrassing introduction, the young monarch's voice was steady, and his blush wore off quickly. As the talk began, Aang was glad to see that some of his tips seemed to have paid off.

Suddenly he felt something warm and wet on his cheek. Katara was kissing him, her lips moving down to his collar.

He patted her hand. "Sweetie, not now, ok? Zuko's giving his speech."

"Sweetie, he's so boring, and your mouth is so kissable!" She whined. She shifted in her seat and tried to pull him to her by the back of the neck. Her demonstrativeness wasn't really unusual–Katara had always been a very physically affectionate person—but she wasn't often quite so public about it. As much as he loved making out with her, the middle of the auditorium was not the proper place. He kissed her back just once, then stopped her with his hand on her shoulder.

"I have an idea," he whispered in her ear. "While he's talking, I want you to choreograph a new dance for us in your head, all right?"

"Oooh, that's a good idea!" she stage-whispered back. "Can it be a sexy dance?"

"Sure," he winked at her. She returned the wink, though it looked like she had to really concentrate to move her facial muscles that way. For the rest of Zuko's speech, she hummed softly, tapping her feet and making little hand gestures approximating dance moves. It looked a little weird, but was less disruptive than openly necking.

Next in the program was a children's choir from an orphanage in Yu Dao. During their time in the former colonial city, Aang and his friends had seen dozens of children living on the streets. Their parents had been killed in the war, so they ganged together, protecting each other and squabbling over restaurant garbage and prime sleeping locations. With funding from Zuko and the support of local leaders, the residential school had been founded the previous year, in a building appropriated from a war criminal. Now the orphans were well fed and able to harmonize. They sang a traditional Earth Kingdom hymn called "Mother Underground, Now I'm Safe and Sound."

The music was undoubtedly moving. So moving that the inebriated Katara soon began to cry. But her tears were not delicate, ladylike little expressions of aesthetic appreciation. They were loud, uncontrollable sobs, interspersed with incoherent blubbering.

"Shh, sweetie, it's ok," Aang murmured, trying to quiet her before she drew too much attention to herself.

"It's just so beautiful," she protested. "They're so full of hope!"

Luckily, it was a short song. After venting her feelings with some enthusiastic applause, Katara was able to sit back down, satisfied that she had let the orphans know that they had touched her heart.

Unfortunately, the next speaker happened to be a personal rival of Katara's. A prominent member of Republic City's council, Guanliao had blocked her efforts to expand the city's woefully inadequate hospital, on the grounds that taxes were already too high.

"What is he doing here?" she demanded.

"The whole council got invited," Aang explained, filling with dread. Katara had ranted for hours about this guy, stone cold sober.

"But they didn't have to let him talk!" She insisted, not modulating her voice one bit. "He's going to convince Zuko he doesn't need hospitals here either, and it's better to let people die, just like he did in Republic City!"

"You know Zuko wouldn't do that, sweetie," he argued, using her own drunk logic, instead of trying in vain to shush her.

"Probably not," she grumbled, sinking down in her chair with her arms crossed, looking for all the world like a sulky toddler.

Guanliao paused his speech for just a moment, looking into the dark crowd toward the outburst, then went on. He told self-aggrandizing stories about the public-private partnerships he had nurtured in Republic City, and expounded on the benefits of low taxes for growing a city's business district.

"What he means is, his rich buddies don't care if their workers die young because there's no medical care, as long as the government lets them keep their ill-gotten profits," the waterbender interpreted for her friends, her words somehow both over-articulated and a little slurred.

On her other side, Toph's shoulders were shaking with mirth. "Your cocktail sure did make the party more interesting, Snoozles!"

Sokka was wincing at the public relations nightmare his sister might have just created for herself. Aang narrowed his eyes at the older boy and mouthed, "This is your fault."

When the man finally finished speaking, the waterbender booed loudly, drawing more quizzical glances from people around her.

Another musical presentation began then: a brass quartet from the Fire Nation. Aang found the melody soothing, and hoped that it would calm his girlfriend down as well.

When he looked over at her, he found that the music's tranquilizing effect was perhaps too strong: Katara was asleep, head fallen straight back and mouth wide open.

That's it. She needs to go to bed, he decided. He let her sleep through the final speakers, figuring her moderate snores were less disruptive than her catcalls. When everyone stood up to move from the auditorium to the dining hall, he made her stand and follow the crowd. Sokka made a guilty grimace at them, and Toph continued her Meekly, drowsily, Katara let her boyfriend direct her, and he tried to support her as little as possible, to look more natural.

When they were away from the crowds, in the deserted palace halls, the airbender put his arm around his girlfriend, and she relaxed into him. She stumbled a little, then giggled at herself. Not wanting the party to be over, she pulled him into a little dance; he laughed in amusement, and followed her steps, though they were clumsy. They made their awkward way down the long corridor to the guest rooms.

"Uh oh," she mumbled, her face suddenly turning green. Her shoulders hunched, and Aang barely had time to turn her to the side before she was throwing up into a potted plant. He pulled her hair over her shoulder and rubbed her back soothingly. "Ugh," she said when she finally came up. "So gross. That stuff is not so good when it comes back up. Sorry."

"Shh, it's not your fault. Let's get you some water to drink, and get you to bed," Aang pulled her up, and she leaned on him.

Finally they reached her bedroom. As soon as Aang closed the door, Katara started stripping. Her dress fell to the floor, and soon she was wearing only her bindings and tights. She was about as covered as she usually was when they practiced waterbending together, but she'd never bared so much skin with him in this context: a bedroom.

Averting his eyes like the gentleman he was, her boyfriend poured her a glass of water and made her drink.

"Thanks," she said, eyes fuzzy. "You take good care of me." She guzzled the water, then leaned into him. His hand touched her bare waist as he steadied her.

"You take care of me, too," he answered softly.

She sighed with contentment, and suddenly he felt her lips on his neck, kissing him clumsily but insistently. As nice as it felt, he knew he had to stop her. "Hey, now."

"What?" She asked, pushing his wrap to the side, baring his shoulder.

"You're…not yourself. It wouldn't be right…." he mumbled, reddening with chagrin.

"We've done this before," she answered with a seductive grin.

"Yeah, but still. I don't want you to regret anything…."

"Psh," she scoffed. "I'd never regret anything we do together." She pulled him down to her, one hand ghosting over his sensitive scalp, and the other reaching into the side of his tunic. He could feel her generous curves against his chest and swallowed, bracing himself to lose this contact.

"You might if you can't remember it," he murmured, his hands on her hips keeping them from too close contact with his.

She pulled away and gaped at him in comic disbelief. "I wouldn't remember it?" The thought seemed to fill her with grief; her eyes were wide, stricken.

He shook his head ruefully, glad he'd found an argument she'd listen to. "You need to sleep off those drinks."

"I am tired," she nodded.

"That's right," he started leading her toward the bed. But when she sank down onto the mattress, she pulled him with her, and before he knew it, they were both lying down. Her head was on his shoulder and her arm crossed over his chest, locking him down.

"Stay," she whispered, wheedling. He couldn't deny how wonderful it felt to have her body pressed to his side. But now that he was pinned, he remembered that neither of them had washed up, though they were both sticklers for nighttime routines. He scooted away and tried to ease her off him, but she clung all the harder, even throwing her leg over his hip.

Despite himself, all the tension in his body released. Lying with her was so comfortable. Their bodies lined up in a different way than when they were standing. Since he'd grown a few inches last year, he had to bend over to kiss her, and sometimes they made out so long, it gave him a crick in the neck. But this way, horizontally, they could relax into each other. The thought of kissing her in this position, rolling over her and under her, her softness surrounding him—better he didn't think too much about that now, or he'd never get to sleep.

Already, she was breathing slowly, her mouth slightly open and her thigh heavy on top of his. Aang admitted to himself, he didn't really want to return to the party. The others might miss him, and they might gossip, but moving away from this comfort, this warmth, was impossible. He closed his eyes and followed her into sleep.

When she had slept long enough for the alcohol to clear her system, Katara woke. From the bare bit of light coming through the window she could tell it was almost dawn, much earlier than she usually got up, but about the time when Aang usually exercised with Zuko whenever he was in the Fire Nation. She turned her head and did a double take to see her sleeping boyfriend's profile beside her. How did he get there?

At her sudden movement, his head turned toward her and he opened his eyes. Focusing on her, he murmured, his voice deep and creaky, "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Headache," she winced. "My mouth tastes gross."

Her breath wasn't great either. He couldn't help a small recoil when the scent of last night's regurgitated cocktail hit his nose.

She noticed and covered her mouth. "Sorry."

"It's ok." He did some subtle airbending, directing fresh air to himself, and blowing her sour breath away from them both. "I should have made you brush your teeth. I didn't brush mine either."

She scooted a little apart with a regretful sigh. "It's too bad. I really like this."

"Being hung over?" He teased.

"Lying here with you. Waking up in your arms." She said honestly, putting words to his own feeling.

Warmth spread in his chest, and he reached his hand out to hold hers. "I like it too."

"And I wish I remembered falling asleep together."

"Well, I remember it. You were pushy. You wouldn't let me leave." The corners of his eyes crinkled, teasing.

She blushed, and hid her face under the sheet. Her shyness was unnecessary but charming.

"It was sweet," he assured her. "I didn't really want to leave, but I also didn't want to, you know, take any liberties you weren't ok with."

Her eyes rolled at the thought. "Why is it that we don't share a room already?" she wondered, cutting right to the chase.

"I guess we just….didn't before, and then we never changed…." Aang groped for an explanation. "And, of course, Sokka's always around…."

"He sneaks around with Suki whenever he gets the chance," she pointed out.

"True."

"It kind of feels silly that we don't. Like, why not?"

"It's not silly. We are young," he justified himself.

"But we're in love. And that's not going to change." she argued. "We're usually unsupervised…"

"Are you saying you want us to start sharing a room?"

"I'm saying my drunk self didn't do anything my sober self hasn't been considering for a while." she said frankly.

He grinned, slightly exhilarated at her admission. "I like your drunk self. And your sober self."

"I wonder what you'd be like drunk," Katara teased.

"I'm sure we'll find out sometime," he shrugged. "Maybe Sokka can brew me some of that stuff."

She made a face. "Well it tasted good, but…."

"But I could learn from your experience and drink it more slowly."

"Do you trust me not to take advantage?" She teased.

"Yeah. I trust us both," he answered seriously. "Don't you?"

"Yeah," she blinked, and some emotion came into her eyes, so that she reached for him, and he held her closely, tucking his chin over her shoulder.

"You know this is it for me, right? You're the one." Aang whispered into her hair.

She gasped and then let out a shaky sigh. "Me too. Since that kiss on Iroh's balcony."

"Before that for me," he answered, shifting to rest their foreheads together.

She sighed contentedly, brushing her thumb along his cheekbone. "I really want to kiss you right now, but my breath…."

"It's not as sweet as usual," he admitted.

"Sorry," she pulled back, wrinkling her nose.

"I don't mind. You've smelled my BO after training," he reminded her.

She blushed, "I like the scent of your sweat."

He raised his eyebrows. He sniffed his own armpit. "I don't get it."

"You just smell like….you." Katara tried to explain, and failed.

"Maybe it's like the way I don't think Appa stinks when he's wet, but no one else can stand it," he mused.

"Maybe." She didn't take the comparison of their relationship with his connection to Appa as any kind of insult, the way most girls would, understanding everything that his animal companion meant to him.

She wondered if she should get up and brush her teeth, but felt sure that if she got out of bed, this spell would be broken, so she wanted to linger. "Here." She turned around, so that her back was to him, and he wouldn't have her morning breath in his face. Her hand held his arm around her waist, and as soon as she was a little settled, it tightened around her, pulling her back against his chest. She felt his nose nuzzling her hair. "This feels nice, doesn't it."

"Mmhmm," he agreed, "how's your headache?"

"I forgot about it," she murmured. Together they drifted back into a light snooze.

Three or four hours later, the couple woke up again, and this time they actually got out of bed. As soon as she stood upright, Katara's hangover hit her, and she sank back down onto the bed, clutching her head with a moan.

"Come on, let's get you some breakfast. That'll help." Aang led her down to the family dining room, where their friends were sitting around a table. From their mostly-empty plates, he could tell they had arrived just as the others were finishing their morning meal.

Ty Lee greeted the couple, as they took the two empty seats between Toph and Mai, across from Zuko and Sokka. "We missed you last night. You two usually lead the dancing."

"Yeah, where were you?" Zuko chimed in.

Katara looked down, blushing. Aang wasn't sure if she was embarrassed about getting drunk or about him spending the night in her bed, but either way, he wanted to defend her. So he deflected, throwing blame where it was due. "Why don't you ask big brother?"

"I might have brewed up a delicious cocktail, and my thirsty sister might have downed an inordinate quantity of it," Sokka admitted.

"Here," Mai, who missed nothing, had already prepared a concoction for Katara. She passed a glass of something cloudy to her friend. "Hangover cure." Gratefully, the waterbender gulped it.

"It might have been meant for you, Sparky," Toph informed the Fire Lord. "So you should be thanking Katara for sparing you the embarrassment."

"Uh, thanks?" the firebender said to the recovering girl, who was leaning heavily on the table, barely holding her head up, while she waited for the drink to kick in.

Miserably, Katara gave a bitter chuckle. "Maybe now we're even."

"You missed our normal morning firebending practice," Zuko turned to Aang.

"Yeah, Twinkletoes, where were you?" Toph asked pointedly, sipping her tea. The airbender knew she knew the answer; her room was next to his and the floors were marble.

Aang didn't want to invite scrutiny on his overnight whereabouts. "I just slept late. We can make it up this afternoon," he explained shortly to his firebending master. Then he pinched Toph under the table, a silent request for her to keep quiet. She pinched him back, telling him that her silence would cost him. He patted her hand twice, to let her know that whatever her price, he'd pay it. There was a part of him that wanted to announce to the world that he'd be sharing Katara's bed regularly from now on, as it was a kind of relationship milestone. But at the same time it felt like a private secret between them, and one their friends would all figure out soon enough anyway. For today, at least, they could pretend nothing momentous or unusual had occurred.

The airbender piled his girlfriend's plate with greasy roast vegetables on toast, and his own with fruit and gruel. When he was finished, he touched her on the back, and she looked up at him. Though her head was surely still aching, she returned his smile, eyes full of a softness that made him melt.

"It's going to be a great day," he announced.

End note:

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