Day 14

Katara enjoyed kissing Haru. His lips were soft and molded perfectly together with her own. He was excellent at kissing; he was able to make her forget where she was when he kissed her and make her knees go weak.

Katara also enjoyed how Haru's body felt against her own as he kissed her - how his strong arms felt holding her body or how his hands felt wrapped up in her hair at the back of her head. She loved running her hands up and down his chiseled back and chest, the hard lines of him so different from her own soft features and curves.

Katara felt safe in Haru's embrace. She knew that no harm would ever come to her as long as she was with him. He was protective without being possessive. Katara knew that he cared deeply for her and she cared deeply for him as well.

She could talk to Haru for hours on end without either of them getting bored. They shared similar opinions, interests and overall goals in life. They had been friends for years, Katara felt like she knew Haru inside and out and Haru knew her like a book just the same.

Haru was also very attractive. Katara wasn't blind, she'd always noticed that he was during their years of friendship. She'd developed a crush on him almost instantly when they first met, and she was sure he'd had one on her as well. During their lone hangouts back when they were just friends, sometimes they would get a little too close to each other and the air would almost painfully thicken between them. Neither ever dared to break the tension though, the fear of ruining the friendship outweighing the risk.

It wasn't until a few months ago, during a party at Suki and Katara's apartment, that they'd taken the jump. Suki had proposed a game of truth or dare with obvious intentions that night, because it hadn't taken her long for her to dare Haru to take Katara into the coat closet for a round of Seven Minutes in Heaven. Katara and Haru, both more than a little tipsy, had shuffled into the closet together and awkwardly laughed at their predicament. It didn't take Haru long to gain the confidence to kiss her though, and even less time for their light pecks to turn into a steamy make out. Haru pressing a skillful knee between her thighs had done it though and before they knew it the two were shoving coats to the side and having sex up against the wall of the closet. By the time they emerged, quite longer than seven minutes later and red in the face, everyone was standing up and cheering for them with the exception of Sokka, who was throwing up in a trash can and mumbling about needing therapy. Haru officially asked her out the next morning over breakfast at the local diner and the rest was history.

Everything had been going well for them since they began dating too… except for one thing. In truly devastating fashion, for whatever reason, and despite the honest effort of both parties, Katara and Haru had not managed to have exciting sex since their first time together. Everything else remained exciting but sex felt mechanical and boring. It was a source of frustration for them and something that made Katara self conscious about herself. She worried that maybe this was the universe trying to tell them that they were actually better off as friends than lovers after all. Katara kept trying to push past it though, because she really did like Haru.

And tonight she and Haru were at another party, so who knew what could happen.

Suki loved throwing parties and would put one together for any occasion that remotely necessitated celebration. This particular Friday night they were celebrating the end of the first week back at school. A couple dozen people filled out the living room, kitchen and back porch while music carried throughout from speakers. Katara and Haru were cuddled up in a corner, sipping on drinks and chatting about Katara's courses that semester and Haru's apprenticeship at his dad's repair shop.

"Alright everyone!" Suki called as she clambered onto a barstool and stood up to capture everyone's attention, drink in hand. Sokka held her steady as she swayed slightly. "It's time for a game. Truth or Dare.. if you dare!"

"Good one, babe," Sokka laughed as he helped Suki back down, careful not to let his girlfriend or her drink fall.

Katara leaned in close to Haru, her lips purposefully brushing against his ear as she spoke low enough for only him to hear, "Remember what happened the last time we played this?"

Haru squeezed Katara's thigh and winked at her. "Let's go," he said, pulling her up with him and pressing a sloppy kiss to her check that made Katara blush.

The two of them sat themselves down on the floor in line with the circle that was forming in the living room for the game. Suki and Sokka were sat a few spaces down from them. Suki waved at Katara and gave her an over eager thumbs up that Katara returned with a shake of her head.

"I'll start," declared Aang, clapping and rubbing his hands together as his eyes darted around the circle in search of the first victim of the night. "Haru," he smirked. "Truth or dare?"

Haru tilted his head in thought. "Hmm. I'll take a dare."

"Excellent, let's keep this night fun. I dare you to take two shots."

Haru shrugged and stood up. "Easy". He strode over to the kitchen bar and poured himself a shot of whiskey, threw it back and repeated. Everyone cheered as he returned to his seat and gave Katara a searing kiss. He pulled away after a moment, grinning. "Okay, Sokka. Truth or dare?"

"Oh, I'm taking the dare," Sokka answered immediately.

"Yeah you are babe!" Suki agreed, hyping him up and patting him on the shoulder.

"I dare you to ask the next door neighbor for a condom."

Sokka paled. "What?" he sputtered.

Katara broke out into a fit of giggles that shook her body. Being that this was a corner apartment, there was only one next door neighbor possible to enact the dare on.

"You want me to ask crotchety old Ms. Liu for a condom?" Sokka cried. "That crazy old bat hates me!"

"You picked dare, man," Haru said, raising his hands up innocently.

Sokka turned to Suki who was trying her best to stop herself from laughing and just waved him on as she covered her face with her other hand. He looked helplessly around the circle before finally standing up. "Fine," he grumbled, "I'll go ask her."

Ms. Liu, who looked as ancient as the sea and had the personality of a lemon, was notorious around the complex for two things: chasing birds away with her cane in the parking lot on sunny days and hating Sokka for no apparent reason.

Everyone held their breath as Sokka made his way out of the apartment, leaving the front door open behind him, and knocked on Ms. Liu's door. They heard it open a moment later.

"Good evening, Ms. Liu," Sokka said, his voice dejected.

"You. What do you want?" Ms. Liu squawked, obviously irritated at Sokka's disturbance to her evening.

Sokka sighed and turned his gaze to the doorframe, unable to look the old woman directly in the eye. "Do you have a condom I can borrow?"

There was a brief pause. A few people, including Katara, sniggered as they tried to imagine Sokka and the old woman's faces at that moment.

"What!" Ms. Liu asked, aghast.

"A condom," Sokka repeated.

The room broke out into howling laughter.

"You little pervert! Absolutely not! Get out of my house at once!" Ms. Liu shouted, shutting her door firmly on Sokka.

Sokka returned a few seconds later, his face beet red as he sat back down and everyone clapped for his display of courage in completing the dare. "No luck on the condom. She did give me the finger though."

Suki wiped a tear from her eye, having given up on trying to hide her laughter at that point.

The game continued on for a while longer. People answered embarrassing truths or completed amusing dares. Katara had to talk via a sock puppet on one hand for the rest of the night and Suki filmed a five minute clown makeup tutorial video that she had to post online. Everyone got a little tipsier. The night was going well, by all accounts.

Eventually, it was Toph's turn to choose the next person to answer truth or dare. "Haru," she said, pointing to where she believed Haru was sitting before Aang corrected her arm so that it was in fact pointing at him. "Truth or dare?" she asked, swatting Aang away.

Haru, having already completed two dares that evening, chose truth to mix it up.

"Alright buttercup. After that little show you and Katara put on for us last time we did this we're gonna need some details on how things have been going. What's the spiciest thing you two have done since then?"

Katara blushed and looked down at her lap.

Haru cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I hate to disappoint, but that was it. Katara isn't very exciting."

Katara blinked rapidly and turned her head toward Haru, the blush erasing from her face as it contorted in surprise instead. "Excuse me?"

Haru shook his head. "I meant Katara and I. We aren't very exciting. It's me too, not all her fault," he said quickly, trying to correct his mistake as his head swam with moderate intoxication.

The room went oddly silent as Katara continued to stare incredulously at Haru, who began to look uncomfortable and wouldn't meet her eyes with his own. A few people traded glances with each other across the circle.

"You're joking?" Katara asked, her voice rising slightly in pitch as she tried to comprehend what was happening.

"Uh oh," Suki whispered, placing a hand on Sokka's knee and preparing herself to get up if needed.

"I mean, I answered the truth. What was I supposed to say?" Haru asked, finally looking Katara in the eyes.

"Not that," Katara said curtly. She stood up and strided over to take her purse from the hook on the kitchen wall where she'd left it and then promptly exited the apartment, careful to not make eye contact with anyone as she did so. She sniffled as she made her way out to the parking lot and took a seat on a low stone wall, the cool rock shocking her bare legs.

An apartment door opened behind her.

"You have exactly ten seconds to explain what that was all about," Katara snapped, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. After receiving no response she turned her head and was surprised to see that it wasn't Haru who had followed her outside after all, but rather Suki.

"You okay?" Suki asked, giving Katara a sympathetic look as she took a seat next to her.

"Not exactly."

Katara had confided in Suki some time ago about her and Haru's issues, so while his public declaration was no shock to her it still was to everyone else in the room. And wildly unnecessary, Katara thought.

"I don't think he meant to say any of that out loud. He's drunk, that must be it. Haru would never purposefully hurt you like that," Suki said, attempting to find reason in the situation.

Katara let out a long sigh. "He's not wrong though."

Suki looked at the ground, unsure of what else to say.

"I'm just gonna go home. It's getting late anyways."

"You're not thinking of walking by yourself? Just wait here a minute, Sokka and I will go with you, I just need to go get him."

Katara held out a hand to stop Suki and gave her a sad smile. "No, it's fine. I'm just a few minutes down the street. And.. I kind of just want to be alone right now anyways."

Suki bit her lip, unsure. "Text me as soon as you get home?"

"Yeah, definitely," Katara briefly hugged Suki before turning away and making her way down to the sidewalk.

"I mean it Katara!" Suki called after her. "If you forget to text me I'll march over there myself and break into your house!"

"Understood!" Katara called back.

The night was cold out, and Katara soon regretted not borrowing a sweater from Suki first before leaving on her trek home as frigid winds whipped at her, making her curse her choice of wearing a dress that evening. She pushed on though, crossing her arms tightly around herself, also not wanting to turn around and face Haru again. She still couldn't believe his audacity, even if he was drunk. She wouldn't have said that in a million years regardless of how intoxicated she may have been.

That last thought, coupled with a stumble on smooth concrete, reminded Katara that she was in fact a bit tipsy still. She paused and kicked off her heels, deciding to carry them the rest of the way home; it was better to walk barefoot on the sidewalk than end up breaking an ankle.

Once she reached the apartment door Katara fumbled around in her purse in search of her keys. The motion sensor light above the door kept turning off on her, making the task more difficult than it needed to be. She began to grumble under her breath when the front door was suddenly flung upon from the inside. Katara blinked and shielded her eyes at the abrupt brightness of light from the entryway.

Zuko raised an eyebrow and took a half step back, startled at Katara's appearance. She was flushed and shivering as she stood in front of him in a short blue dress. Her hair was strewn all about and her makeup smudged. One hand shielded her eyes as she blinked dazedly at him, while the other - "Is that a sock puppet?"

Katara glanced down at her sock covered hand with its marker drawn face that clutched her heels in what would be its mouth. "It is."

"Huh," Zuko said, peeling his eyes away from it and looking back at Katara. "Rough night, I take it?"

"I don't really want to talk about it."

"That's probably for the best," Zuko said, stepping to the side and motiontioning for Katara to enter the apartment. He looked around outside before closing and locking the door, making sure there was nobody following Katara, although the sock puppet alone likely would have warded off any creeps.

Katara walked over to the kitchen and set her heels and purse down on the floor against the island counter, then proceeded to remove and throw away the sock puppet. "Did I wake you?"

"No," Zuko answered, making his way into the kitchen as well. "I was just getting something to eat when I heard you outside."

"Well, thank you," Katara said, rubbing at her head, which was beginning to hurt slightly. "I think I'll just take a shower and go to bed."

"Don't forget to come prepared with your list in the morning," Zuko smirked, resuming cutting up the apple he was working on before Katara got home.

"Oh, I've had it ready for a few days now don't you worry," Katara replied as she headed into her bedroom. She fired off a quick text to Suki about being home and then gathered her night clothes in her arms and returned to the main room.

Zuko heard Katara as she passed through and entered the bathroom but kept his back turned towards her. Once the water turned on he sighed and grabbed a few items from cupboards, wondering if he was getting too soft.

Katara exited the shower some time later, feeling refreshed by the warm water but also dehydrated. As she exited the bathroom she found that Zuko was gone and surmised that he must have gone to bed. She walked over to the kitchen silently so as not to wake him and flipped on the light to guide her in getting a glass of water. However, the light revealed a setup on the kitchen counter that hadn't been there earlier.

A glass of cool water sat atop the counter, next to a plate of toast and a few apple slices. Katara's lip twitched into a small smile as she picked up a sticky note in front of the plate.

For a rough night