A/N: I got quite a bit accomplished over the weekend, so…here you go, lol.

Day Two, Part Two

Suki flicked her hysterical boyfriend with an eye roll. "Sokka, what are you babbling about? Katara and I are in the middle of serious girl talk. Shoo! Go away!"

"Did you not hear what I just told you?" Sokka emphasized dramatically, "The Avatar is sitting on my couch at this very second!" He wilted back against the wall as the reality of that hit him full force. "The Avatar is sitting on my couch in our living room…" he uttered again, "…and I just left him alone with Toph. Oh no. I gotta go!" He beat a hasty exit from the bedroom then, disappearing just as abruptly as he had arrived.

Flabbergasted, Suki swung a gaping look around at Katara. "Is he for real?" Katara nodded slowly. "That boy in our living room is the Avatar?" Katara gave another deliberate nod. Suki wilted. "Unbelievable. You didn't mention a word about Aang being the Avatar."

Katara ducked sheepishly. "You didn't ask."

"I could throttle you."

"Well, you didn't!"

Suki grunted. "That explains why you're so gaga, at least. Your new potential boyfriend is the freaking Avatar!"

"I wish that was the reason, Suki," Katara sighed, "But it's not. It's him."

"Ugh…you and your brother are so weird," Suki muttered, "Alright. Let's get back out there before Sokka makes a complete fool of himself."

When they entered the living room again, Sokka was virtually prostrate before a very flustered Aang and presenting him with a bowl full of seal jerky. Katara groaned inwardly and that was before Sokka said in the most pretentious voice imaginable, "Avatar Aang, would you care for some seal jerky, my good man?"

"Sokka, why are you talking so weird?" Katara demanded, "You sound like an idiot."

Her brother shot her a withering look filled with unspoken reprimand before turning his wide, almost creepy smile back on Aang. "Please forgive my sister. She's hardly versed in matters such as these." He waved the bowl beneath Aang's nose. "Might I suggest the ragin' Cajun flavor, your Avatarness?"

Momo crouched nearby, ready to pounce in case Aang refused the bounty. The furtive lemur had his chance when Aang shook his head with an appreciative smile. "Thank you very much for your hospitality, Sokka, but I don't eat meat."

While Sokka had a mini fit of vapors over Aang's reply, Toph grunted from her position on the floor, "That's not meat. That's shoe leather."

For the moment, Toph commanded all the attention in the room. It was difficult not to be fascinated by the picture of a blind girl, folded lotus style on the floor and intensely engrossed in playing a video game she couldn't see. What was even more fascinating…she was winning.

Suki moved to stand beside her, cocking her head to one side in amazement. "I'll never understand how you do that, Toph."

"My ways are many and secret, Grasshopper," Toph told her as she vaporized yet another droid, "Perhaps one day, when you are worthy, I shall teach you my skills."

"You are too kind, oh mistress of wonder," Suki deadpanned. "I'm going in the kitchen to pop in a frozen pizza. Anybody else want anything while I'm in the kitchen?"

"Soda!" Toph called back.

"Chips and dip," Sokka added.

"Water, please?" Aang requested diffidently.

Suki glanced at Katara in expectation. Rather than making a food request, Katara mouthed the words, "Get them out of here." She knew she wasn't getting any assistance from Suki when the pretty brunette merely smiled demurely and turned to go into the kitchen. "Traitor," Katara muttered under her breath.

A bit mortified by the picture her family had already created for Aang, Katara quickly rambled off introductions before things could get any worse. "Aang, you've met Suki, and I'm sure you've already figured out that this is my brother Sokka. And the girl on the floor is his best friend Toph."

"Oh, we've already met," Toph tossed out airily, "He's staying in my father's hotel, remember?"

Aang angled a wry smile up at Katara. "She was in a dress that time and made up with a lot of frou-frou before," he explained softly, "I didn't recognize her at first."

"Yeah…freaking frou-frou," Toph mumbled in aside, "He wasn't quite prepared for what I looked like in my natural state. But then again, I was surprised that he had ventured outside of the hotel without his usual entourage of handlers, yes-men and the figurative shackles."

A slow, creeping heat ascended up Aang's neck. "It's…it's not that bad. Sometimes they give me a break," he replied lamely.

Toph was clearly not convinced, but accepted the explanation gamely nonetheless. "Whatever you need to tell yourself. I'm not knocking it."

After Suki returned with the requested items and took a seat next to Sokka, Sokka reclined deep into the spongy cushions to regard both Aang and Katara thoughtfully. He peeled back the wrapper of a jerky stick. He gnawed off a bite before remarking, "That's the part I don't get. You escape your hotel prison and you come here? Not that I'm complaining but why here? How do you know my sister anyway?"

Katara placed a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder and shot her brother a warning glare. "We're friends, Sokka. That's all you need to know."

"No, it's not. You've been friends with the Avatar and you never bothered to tell me? Who keeps that kind of secret? Last month, I confessed when I wore your socks, didn't I? I'm just asking for the same courtesy."

His sister rolled her eyes in response. "Oh brother."

"Actually, Sokka," Aang said, speaking up on Katara's behalf, "We haven't known each other very long. Katara and I met when she came for her job interview the other day."

That bit of information only deepened Sokka's disapproving frown. He surveyed Katara with a suspicious look. "Oh really? Funny how you failed to mention that too."

"Speaking of that job interview," Toph inserted smoothly, "You should be getting a call from Human Resources any day, Sugar Queen."

"Thank you, Toph. I appreciate you putting in a word for me."

Not at all distracted by their divergence into the job discussion, Sokka pressed further for answers. "So what else aren't you telling me, Katara? You met on the day of your interview and…? Have you guys have been hanging out together ever since? Where did you go all that time? What did you do?"

Suki slapped his shoulder lightly. "Will you stop interrogating her? You're making her and Aang uncomfortable!"

"Why should they be uncomfortable?" Sokka argued, "I'm only trying to understand. Katara is my baby sister! I have a right to know these things."

Katara threw up her hands with an aggravated growl. "Oh, for crying out loud! What exactly do you need to understand, Sokka?"

"Are you dating the Avatar?" he demanded bluntly.

Before Aang could begin to explain that, while they weren't dating, he was indeed interested in doing so, Katara cut him off, surprising Aang completely with the vehemence of her next statement. "No, we are not dating! Aang and I are friends. That's it! Now will you please drop it?"

Sokka seemed to be mollified after that, but it was Aang who was left writhing in inner turmoil. Had he read her signals all wrong? Until a few seconds ago, he had been certain that Katara was just as interested in him as he was in her. Now, he was confused and didn't know quite what to think. Then again, Aang supposed that came with the territory when one knew a girl for less than two days and began to fall for her hard.

He was so intent on brooding over that fact that Aang completely missed what Sokka was saying to him. "…don't you think that's a good idea?"

Aang blinked at him. "What's a good idea?"

The older boy face-palmed. "I swear, your attention span is worse than Toph's!"

"Come say that to my face, jerky boy!" Toph retorted sassily, only to shrug a second later and add, "Eh…forget it. Can I have some of those chips?"

Sokka passed her the bag. "See what I mean?" His reward for that was a blow to the back of his head with the clump of soil from the potted plant located on the kitchen counter. Sokka scowled. "Hey! You know how I feel about you using your earthbendy magic to abuse me!"

Suki dug her elbow into his ribs. "Would you just get on with it?"

"As I was saying," Sokka began again with a dramatic clearing of his throat, "Since you and Katara are already friends and everything, wouldn't it be great if she was your waterbending instructor? I know she's not much to look at, but she's an awesome waterbender!"

Katara gave her brother a look that could have crumbled stone. "Thank you so much for your glowing recommendation, Sokka," she replied dryly, "But I'm certain that Aang already has a waterbending instructor in place."

"I do," he confirmed with an easy smile, "But I'd still like to see your moves. You promised me earlier, remember?"

Katara propped her hip against the armrest of the sofa and gave a dubious scoff. "I made no such promises!"

Aang arched his brows in challenge. "I distinctly recall you making a promise and a promise is a promise. Now show me some moves."

"And I distinctly recall that you're full of crap," Katara countered sweetly, "If you persist in making up these wild stories, Aang, I don't know that you'll ever see my moves."

Toph emitted a long-suffering groan around her mouthful of potato chips. "Ugh…Katara, are you two going to make out or are you going to give him a demonstration already?"

Sokka pursed his lips with a thoughtful frown. "You know…I really don't like all the double entendres going on in this conversation. Can we move on, please?"

"Oh, hush up, Sokka," Katara grumbled good-naturedly though she was blushing…and so was Aang. The two exchanged a darting look, which only heightened the color in their cheeks. Intensely aware that Suki and Sokka were staring at them both with a mixture of amusement and mistrust, Katara composed herself quickly and expertly bent a sinuous ribbon of water from the drinking glass in Aang's hand.

The rivulets formed a liquid halo above Katara's head, looping in slow circles before gradually picking up speed to spin faster and faster. Then, abruptly, all motion stopped. The loop solidified into a chain of glistening ice, only to liquefy again under Katara's command. She formed several geometric shapes and flourishing loops to the "oohs" and "ahhs" of her friends and family before smoothly guiding the water back into Aang's glass.

He quickly set it aside to give her a round of unreserved applause. "That was incredible!"

Katara giggled a bit at his enthusiastic praise. "You really don't get out very much, do you? What I did was pretty standard. Any waterbender with a modicum of skill could do the same."

"No," Aang argued, "You're the best there ever was and that's that."

As Katara struggled to conceal her answering blush, Sokka immediately fell into negotiations. "So, now that you've seen what she can do, are you interested? We're not running a charity here. It's going to be pretty pricey for you, but I think we can both agree that Katara's worth the money."

Katara expelled a dismayed cry. "Sokka! What are you doing?"

"I'm just saying…he needs a teacher, you need a job… This seems like a win/win to me." He was elbowed in the mid-section by his girlfriend with enough force to double him over. "I hardly think that was necessary," he gasped.

Before Sokka could incur more physical violence, Aang spoke up. "Sokka, as much as I would love to have Katara as my teacher," he began in a diplomatic tone, "it's out of my hands. The final decision rests with the monks and they already have someone in mind."

Disheartened, Sokka slumped back into the sofa cushions. "Bummer."

"Why are you sweating it?" Toph asked him, "I already told you that the job at my father's hotel is in the bag."

"Yeah…but I was thinking that being the Avatar's instructor would pay loads more than being a cleaning lady."

Katara reached over to pinch his bicep…hard. Sokka yelped, but his sister clearly delighted in his pain. "Way to pimp me out there, big brother. You have a heart as big as all outdoors…only not!"

Sokka nursed the tender spot on his shoulder. "Gah. A guy tries to look out for his baby sister's best interests and he's rewarded with smart comments and physical abuse. I should kick every one of you out of my place right now."

"This is half my place too," Suki retorted smartly, "Besides, if you did kick us out who would wash your dirty socks?"

"Or cook your favorite meals?" Katara added.

"Or let you mooch off of her continually?" Toph threw in.

Sokka carefully weighed their arguments while tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose there is some merit to your arguments…"

Aang bounced a laughing look between the four of them. "Are you guys always like this?"

Toph offered a noncommittal shrug. "Nah. You actually caught us on an off day."

"An off day?" Aang sputtered.

"It's the weekend," Suki declared, "Let's go out tonight! We should do something else other than have frozen pizza in front of the television."

"What's wrong with frozen pizza in front of the TV?" Sokka pouted, "I like frozen pizza in front of the TV."

"But tonight we have a guest," Suki replied with a meaningful glance in Aang's direction, "We should try and show him a good time."

"That's not necessary, you guys," Aang protested, "I can't really stick around that long anyway and I don't want to put you out."

Katara's brows snapped together in a disappointed frown. "You're going to go?"

Aang was taken about by how reluctant he was to disappoint her. They hadn't known one another for a long time at all and, already, he held her opinion of him in the highest regard. He didn't know why she was reluctant to say goodbye to him anymore than he knew why he was reluctant to say goodbye to her. But there was an inexplicable pull between them and the more time they spent together, the stronger it became.

Therefore, it was with a great deal of reluctance that Aang replied, "I told Gyatso that I wouldn't be gone too long. I should probably head back to the dojo before it gets too late."

"Can't you call him and ask for an extension?" Katara entreated sweetly, "We don't have a lot of time, Aang. I really do want to make the most of it. Please? For me?"

There was something truly compelling about her big, blue eyes. Whenever he looked at her, they turned him into mushy goo. "Okay," he relented, "I'll give him a call."

Gyatso was less than thrilled by his request. Covering for Aang with the monks for a few hours was a doable occurrence. They wouldn't expect Aang as long as he was training and they trusted Gyatso enough to leave Aang in his care unsupervised. But, when evening came, his handlers would return to spirit him back to the hotel and if he wasn't there, Gyatso would have some serious explaining to do. Aang was hesitant to put his beloved mentor in that position and was on the verge of telling Gyatso he would come back directly when the older airbender told him not to worry and that he would figure it out.

"Are you sure?" Aang fretted, "I don't want to get you in trouble."

"I can handle the other monks," Gyatso reassured him, "This is your last opportunity to enjoy your youth before it becomes dedicated to nonstop training. You should have this time, Aang."

When he ended the call and returned to the living room, Sokka, Katara, Suki and Toph were huddled together and bantering possibilities for the evening back and forth amongst themselves. Momo watched their exchange from the kitchen counter, happily finishing off the pizza they had discarded earlier. No one seemed to notice him as they debated their plans for the evening.

Sokka jerked a glance towards Aang as he approached them. "Okay, we've got it narrowed down to three possibilities," he told the young Avatar, "We could check out what's playing at the movies—,"

"—And that's no fun for me, so I'll pass," Toph inserted dryly.

"There's also the option of seeing a probending match tonight," Sokka continued, "I know a guy who knows a guy who has a cousin who could get us tickets."

"In other words," Suki said, "We're going to spend two hours standing in the cold, looking like complete idiots."

"Your confidence in my skills is heartwarming, babe," Sokka deadpanned.

Suki gave his cheek an affectionate pat. "Experience has been a very harsh mistress where you're concerned, Sokka."

Katara spoke up at that point. "Well, even if Sokka's plans weren't disastrous 60% of the time—,"

"—that's a gross exaggeration!" her brother squawked.

"—I still wouldn't be interested in going," Katara finished meaningfully, "Those matches are clearly rigged."

"Well, duh!" Sokka retorted, "That's what makes them so fun. Must you always be a wet blanket?"

"Must you always be a meathead?" Katara flung back.

Suki deftly inserted herself between them. "Ah, ah, ah, children no fighting now or I'll be forced to send you to your beds without supper." Sokka backed down but not before muttering rather petulantly, "She started it."

"If we've finished with this hour's segment of the Water Tribe siblings drama," Toph remarked dryly, "Perhaps, we should leave the decision up to Aang. He is the guest after all."

Three pairs of eyes swung around to regard Aang in expectation. "I'd like to do whatever Katara would most enjoy."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Typical. I guess that means we're going to that new 18 and over club that just opened up on Feng avenue."

"18 and older?" Aang echoed with a concerned frown, "I'm only sixteen. I can't get into a place like that."

"So am I, genius!" Toph told him, "But I'm a Beifong and you're the freaking Avatar. If they don't let us in, then I don't know what this city is coming to."

Katara offered him a reassuring smile. "It will be okay, Aang. This club is one of the few in the city that doesn't discriminate against benders. It's a really cool place. I think you'll like it."

It turned out that she was right…and so was Toph. The instant the doorman recognized her as a Beifong, he let their party through without further inspection. But it was the interior of the club that truly left Aang speechless. Not only was it clear that benders and non-benders could mingle without conflict, but nations too. There were teens from all four nations represented and they hadn't segregated themselves off.

Instead, Earth Kingdom mingled with Air Nation and Fire Nation hung out with Water Tribe. Aang was actually surprised to see so many air nomads because he had always assumed that his parents were among some of the very few to forgo living at the temples in the traditional manner. He had always known that there were other airbending teenagers in the city, but he hadn't known there were quite so many.

Standing next to him, Katara easily spied the unconcealed wonder on his face and smiled. "See? I told you that you would like it."

"This is kind of how I wish the whole world could be," Aang murmured softly.

"It will be," she whispered, "You're going to see to it."

Aang was still marveling over how she managed to have such confidence in him when Sokka announced that he was taking his woman out on the dance floor. Toph ambled after them, but headed in the direction of the bar instead. The last they heard from her was a, "have fun, kiddies," before she was swallowed by the crowd. Katara and Aang were left alone with each other, still hovering near the entrance and growing more and more acutely aware of one another as the seconds passed.

Finally, Aang broke the silence by asking, "So…do you want to…?"

Katara was already shaking her head wildly before he had completed the sentence. "Oh no. I'm going to sit this one out. I don't like to dance in front of people. It looks like I'm having some kind of full body fit. I'll spare them and you."

"Somehow, I doubt you're that bad."

"Let's not test that theory, shall we?"

He flashed an amused smile at her. "But you're the one who wanted to come here."

"I like the music and the atmosphere," she prevaricated a little desperately.

Aang extended his hand to her. "Come on," he cajoled, "We'll do it together."

Katara darted a self-conscious glance around her. "Aang, I can't. There are so many people around and these shoes aren't really meant for dancing, so…"

"Take my hand, Katara," he insisted, "It'll be fine. It's just you and me."

"Fine," she sighed, placing her fingers against his palm, "But if I make a fool of myself out there, you might end up regretting that last statement."

He hadn't quite finished laughing over her dire warning when they began to circle one another on the dance floor. But soon, all of his laughter faded as he and Katara locked eyes, their bodies moving fluidly in time with the fast tempo of the music. A fine sheen of perspiration glistened on their skin , but they maintained their smiles despite the physical exertion. Aang and Katara leaned into each other and fell apart, parrying and twisting, in a sinuous play on their bending styles. At certain moments, they would come close enough to touch, gradually building the anticipation for the moment when they would touch, only to whirl away from each other and begin the game all over again.

However, when the music abruptly changed rhythm and slowed, Aang and Katara left off the pretense of teasing one another. They came together in a tentative embrace, rocking with the more languid beat. Their bodies were flush, aligned in the most delicious way so that every sway caused a whisper of friction between them. Each one was highly aware of the other's proximity and warmth, stiff with nervousness but also trembling with anticipation. In careful, gradual inches, Aang's hand settled into the small of her back, his slender fingers strumming along Katara's spine just above the curve of her buttocks as they pressed together again. Katara peered up at him, her features bathed in the flashing blue, orange, red and green lights that illuminated the dance floor, as mesmerized by him then as she had been the day they met in the lobby of the Beifong Suites.

"Why does it feel like we've done this before?" she asked as they continued to sway together.

Aang favored her with a half smile. "Does it?"

"Yes. Everything about you feels familiar," Katara told him, "I feel safe with you. It's like you've put a spell on me, Avatar Aang."

"Well, if I have, it's the same spell you used on me."

Katara beamed. "Really? Why do you say that?"

"After I met you the other day, I couldn't stop thinking about you," he confessed softly, "The thought of never seeing you again made me a little crazy. I felt terrible for breaking my promise."

"You didn't leave me hanging on purpose. I knew you were on the lamb when we met." Her gentle teasing stirred a short bark of laughter from him. "Besides, I had a pretty good idea why you disappeared and where you disappeared to. It was getting in contact with you again that was the tricky part."

"Sorry about that. I wish things had gone differently," Aang lamented, "We would have had an extra day. It's almost cruel that we only met when we barely have any time to get to know one another."

"Do you really have to go so soon?"

"It's tradition. An avatar always begins his training at 16. It's time. I don't get to decide."

"I don't know if I could handle having other people dictate every moment of my life," Katara said, "I think you're doing an incredible thing, Aang."

"Don't look at me like that," he laughed, "I'm no paragon of virtue. I've run away no less than six times. I drive the monks crazy. I never do as I'm told—,"

"—And yet, when the time comes for you to go, you're going to go, aren't you?" Katara finished sadly.

"I wish I didn't have to go," he whispered.

"So do I," she whispered back, "I just found you. I don't want to lose you."

"We can still keep in touch…you know, write letters, email and stuff like that. Isn't that what friends do?"

Without being aware of it, they had stopped swaying to the music altogether. When the song change occurred and the tempo quickened once more, Aang and Katara didn't even acknowledge it. Katara pressed her face lightly into his shirtfront. "Are we just friends, Aang?"

He shrugged lightly. "I thought so. Isn't that what you told your brother?"

The thread of hurt confusion in his tone had Katara jerking her widened gaze back to his face. She choked back a stunned laugh. "Has that been bothering you this whole time?"

Self-conscious color crept across Aang's cheeks. "No! It…uh…it hasn't been bothering me…exactly," he stammered in reply, "Please, don't think I'm trying to pressure you into anything. I'm okay with us being friends, Katara…if that's what you want."

Her eyes dropped briefly to his lips. "That's not what I want," she told him softly, "At least…that's not all I want."

"Well, what do you want?" he asked, already lowering his head to kiss her.

Katara smiled just before his mouth settled against hers. "I think you have the general idea."

The moment their lips touched was tender and timid, little more than a sighing exchange of breath. It held all the tentativeness of a typical first kiss. They nibbled at one another briefly, carefully acquainting themselves with one another before Aang pulled back to regard Katara in unspoken question.

When he received his answer, pure instinct took over…and somehow else distinctly primal. He kissed her again. This time, he did so slower and deeper than he had before and with a confidence and familiarity he didn't quite understand. He had imagined what she tasted like hundreds of times and was surprised to discover that his imagination and reality were one in the same. He knew the contours of her soft lips and exactly how she liked to be kissed. But, surprisingly enough, Katara seemed to know the same thing. She took his breath as they fell deeper and deeper, each one feeding off the other's implicit desires.

For Katara in particular, there was one wild, fleeting moment of clarity when she fully recognized that she was kissing the Avatar, but then that quickly faded as she found herself lost in Aang's kiss and Aang's warmth. She felt like she had been waiting to kiss him for a hundred years. It was sweet and sensuous and stirring. She wrapped her arms more securely around his neck and pressed closer into his body. Aang tightened his arms around her waist, bringing her closer still. He would have been content to go on kissing her, tasting her mouth with tentative, shallow forays of his tongue, but someone else had other plans. A firm tap on his shoulder caused Aang to pull back abruptly.

He pivoted to find Suki standing behind them with a knowing smile that was free of censure and brimming with laughter. "If it's not your intention to give her brother a show, I suggest you two break it up."

Katara bounced a panicked glance around at the dancers, mentally preparing herself for Sokka's possible meltdown. "He's not around, is he?"

Suki reassured her with a quick shake of her head. "I sent him to the bar to get me a drink as soon as I saw you two attempting to fuse your faces into one."

Aang and Katara blushed hotly, an occurrence that was becoming altogether too common between them now. "Thanks, Suki," Katara sighed, "We owe you one."

"That's probably my cue to leave anyway," Aang told her, "I put Gyatso in a really awkward position by coming here with you guys. I need to get back to the dojo."

"When can I see you again?" Katara asked.

"It can't be tomorrow. You remember I told you—,"

Before Aang could finish his statement, Suki interrupted, "Why can't it be tomorrow?"

Katara shot her a quelling look. "Aang's going to visit his parents tomorrow."

Suki shrugged. "So what? You could go with him."

The suggestion left both Aang and Katara flustered and blinking in speechless consternation. Katara was the first to recover. "I can't go with him, Suki," she argued, "First of all, he's going to see his parents. Second of all, he's going with his airbending instructor. And third of all, he didn't invite me."

Hardly discouraged by those arguments, Suki turned a flippant glance towards Aang. "So invite her."

"Suki!" Katara screeched in outraged mortification, "Stop it! You're putting him on the spot and you're embarrassing me!"

"It's okay, Katara," Aang laughed, "I would love it if you came with me. You'd have a chance to meet my folks and they could meet you. I'm sure Gyatso won't mind if you tag along. He's only taking me because I don't have a license…or a car, for that matter."

"Aang, I don't know…" Katara hedged, "I feel like I'm intruding."

"You're not," he insisted, "I want you to come."

"You see, Katara?" Suki inserted with a widening grin, "He wants you to come."

Katara glared at her. "Remind me to choke you later…slowly and painfully."

The older girl responded with a nod of mock solemnity. "So noted. Come on, Katara! You've been whining this whole day about how you and Aang don't have much time to spend together before he's supposed to leave. This is the best option."

"Would you stop trying to pawn me off on him?" Katara hissed, "You're worse than Sokka! And, for the record, I have not been whining!"

Aang nudged her before she and Suki could descend into full-fledged bickering. "If it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to come, Katara. I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do. I'm just letting you know now that the invitation is an open one. I would have asked you before, but it seemed kind of forward."

"No kidding," Katara mumbled as she cut a meaningful look towards Suki, "Lucky for you I have very rude and obnoxious friends!"

"You're welcome," Suki replied without an ounce of remorse.

Katara ignored her and blinked up at Aang with a sweet expression. "And you're sure you wouldn't mind if I came along? What about your parents? They're expecting to spend time with you, not some strange girl you just met."

"You're important to me, Katara. My parents will want to meet you. If you don't come tomorrow, let it be because you don't want to and not because you think you're not wanted."

Katara considered his words for about a split second before she said, "Okay, I've made up my mind. What time are you coming to pick me up?"