ATLA Multishipping Bingo Challenge

(That’s why they’d come out here - not for sex, but just to watch the Lotus Festival Fireworks Show. But with her panties and their shirts scattered to the side, a hand cupping one of her breasts through her bra, and his face buried between her legs, he doesn’t mind at all.)

“Please,” Ty Lee breathes, her fingers tangled in his hair,” please, Longshot, so close.”

Longshot doesn’t bother responding - instead he squeezes down on one of Ty Lee’s ample breasts with one hand, and uses his other hand to trace along her entrance. He slowly pushes two of his fingers in, and her whine turns into a low moan as he licks at her sensitive nub.

“Fuck,” she breathes, and he has to agree; his cock is aching, straining against his pants, and he wants to bury himself inside her, but he’s going to make her cum, first.

“Shot, I’m gon-” her voice peels off into a breathy groan as he licks, fingers curling inside her, and her legs shake around his shoulders. Her fingers tighten in his hair, and he can’t help but smile; he loved the noises she made.

He pulls away after a few moments, lets her catch her breath before slamming their lips together, his tongue diving into her mouth. She meets him eagerly, her arms wrapping around his neck. She nudges his shoulder, and he lets Ty Lee flip them over so she’s straddling his hips. It’s barely a moment’s rest before Ty Lee has the ties on his pants undone, and he lifts his hips, helps her pull his pants down around his ankles. 

She strokes his cock for barely a moment, smiling as she runs her hand up his length. He shudders, bats her hand away, and she just snickers. He bunches her skirt around her hips as she lifts herself up, lining his cock up with her entrance. Ty Lee slowly sinks down, slowly taking him inch by inch, and they groan when he’s finally buried to the hilt inside her.

“Fuck,” Longshot whispers, groaning as she pulls off, only to slam back down onto him with a loud, guttural moan.” Good girl, so good.”

Ty Lee’s lips curve into a smile at the praise as she rolls her hips against his, and he has to bite his lip. Fuck, she’s tight, and she feels so good. He clenches his core as he reaches up, tugs on her braid; she gasps as her head is pulled back, only to let out a deep groan as he bucks his hips against hers.

“Shit,” Ty Lee whimpers as he bucks hips against hers.” Fuck, just like that, Shot, please!”

Her nails dig into his shoulders as he takes one of her nipples into his mouth for a brief moment. He lays back down, thrusts into her again, and Ty Lee rocks her hips back to meet his with a loud, pleasurable sigh. 

(He’s too old for this, now. Far too old.

And it’s not like he’s a hero, not really. He hadn’t done anything special. Just…the right thing. That’s all.)

At least now, he’s home. Finally…home.)

“Dad?”

His daughter’s - son’s, he corrects himself; still a little new, still adjusting, but he’s getting there - voice echoes through the hall, and he smiles through the exhaustion. Oh, how he’d missed that voice.

“Over here,” he calls weakly. The thud of Mizuki’s boots echoes down the hallway, and he glances up to see his son scowling down at him, arms crossed over his chest.

“Look at you,” he says,” a washed up old sailor. What would the world think of you?”

“That I need to see your mother and give her a big kiss,” he retorts as he slowly gets back up to his feet.

Mizuki stares at him for a long, silent moment, scowling - then chuckles, shakes his head.” Nice to see you, too, dad.”

“Love you,” Bumi winked. Mizuki pretends to retch for a moment - Bumi just shakes his head at his antics and wraps his arm around his son, letting Mizuki guide him down the halls of the palace. It’s only been three months since Kuvira attacked Republic City, but it might as well have been a lifetime.

Interview after interview, press conference after press conference, news reports and criticisms and promotions and ceremonies and…and he was just done. Worn out. Tired. Exhausted. He was almost sixty-five, now - he just didn’t have the energy he had as a kid. It was time for him to slow down. Stay home. Annoy his sons with bad jokes and funny stories. (And probably get thrown in one of the ponds in the gardens by said sons. Again.

Ah, well. It was better than whatever PR mover nonsense Varrick would have wanted him to do.)

“Go, get out of here. Be gross with mom,” Mizuki says, punching his shoulder.” I’m going to go punch something.”

Bumi rolls his eyes, and silently opens the door to Izumi’s suite. He pokes his head through, looks around - good. She hasn’t seen him; she’s still lounging on a couch by the balcony - he can see her, her crown cast off to the side, a book in her hand. He smirks as he slips inside, silently closes the door behind him.

(He might be exhausted, but he wouldn’t be Bumi if he didn’t mess with her at least a little bit.)

He tiptoes up behind her, almost slipping on a folded rug - and just before he can put his hands over her eyes, she speaks.

“I can hear you, you know.” Bumi can hear the smile in her voice.

He groans, throws his hands down.” You didn’t let me finish!”

Izumi chuckles - a light, rich sound that makes his heart flip - and snaps her book shut. She smoothly stands up from the couch, walks around to take him in her arms. He buries his nose in her hair, kisses her forehead.

Damn it, he’d missed her so much.

“Missed you,” Izumi mumbles into his shoulder.

“Missed you, too,” he says. He pulls away, gives her a light kiss, and tugs her back in again. Izumi is warm and safe and…everything, right now.

Being a war hero was not the kind of fame for him. Too much…well, everything, really. He could never put up with it for long. Spirits, that’s why he’d retired in the first place.

He watches as she takes another order, and she smirks, chuckling at someone’s joke. That smirk…he couldn’t stop staring at it. It’s cute, and for some reason he wants to see it as much as he can. And her eyes, brilliant green but somehow glazed over - she’s blind, he’s fairly sure, which leaves him more mystified.

How did she do it?

(She looks familiar, too. He’s not sure why, but she…he feels like he’s seen her before, somewhere, but at the same time he’s absolutely sure he’s never met her.)

“Aang, buddy, you’re gonna start drooling if you stare any longer.” Sokka’s voice breaks him from his trance, and he shakes his head.

“What? No, no I wasn’t staring!” He tries - it doesn’t work. Zuko and Sokka look at each other, and a knowing grin tugs at the corners of their lips.

“Go ask her out already,” Zuko rasps.” You’ve been staring at her the entire time we’ve been here.”

“No! That would be creepy!” he stammers, the blood rushing to his face. It’s not like it was his fault she was gorgeous! And funny, too - it might have been his imagination, but she seemed to keep coming by their table, with some joke or something funny to say, always addressing him.

It bugs him, not because he doesn’t like it, but because he wants to know, for sure, if it’s just his imagination, or if she really is coming over to his table repeatedly.

“Who’s asking who out?”

Oh, fuck.

She’s right behind him.

Sokka bursts out laughing as Aang’s cheeks heat up - he looks like a tomato right now, he’s sure. He sighs, hides his face in his hands.

(Wait, she’s blind, he’s being stupid.)

“What’s wrong? Crocokitten got your tongue!” She smirks, and damn he can’t stop staring at her, at the little twinkle in her eye and the tilt of her lips.” Or just see something you like?”

Fuck, he’s gone.

“Uh-uh nope! Nothing!” he says before he thinks, and he immediately slams his palm into his face. He pointedly ignores the sputtering laughter of his friends at their table.” Wait, no, I didn’t mean that!”

The waitress - Toph, he remembers her introducing herself as - just laughs. It’s bright, cheerful…and a little sly, too.” Don’t worry, Twinkletoes. I know what you meant.”

“You, uh…you did?” he asks.

“Sure,” she says. Toph leans over, resting her hands on the table.” Tell you what. You know where Ping’s Cuisine is? Meet me there at 7 o’clock tomorrow, and I’ll tell you all about it.”

He stares at her for a brief moment, stunned, before he shakes his head, smiles.” Ping’s at 7. I’ll be there. Can I, uh, have your number?”

She doesn’t say a word, just grins and holds out a napkin, and his heart skips a beat. Scrawled on it is a phone number, and her name. Toph Bei Fong.

Did she…make this? Just for him?

“Alright, Twinkletoes, I gotta get back to work, but I’ll see you tomorrow?” She leaves it almost as more of a question, like she’s hopeful, too.

“Definitely,” he smiles up at her, his heart thudding hard in his chest, and he can’t help but smile as she walks away, her hips swaying in time to the beat of the bar’s music.

“Did…did you just get a date?” Sokka asks slowly.

“Just like that?” Zuko adds.

He nods at Aang, working the front desk, and freezes. Aang looks…almost like he’s seen a ghost, and one of the interns - a new one; Zhan, he thinks, he can’t remember their name - is wiping away at her face.

Everything…okay? He signs.

“Uh…,” Aang stammers,” I think so? But you might want to go check on your girlfriend. She was pretty upset.”

Longshot takes one look at the crying intern, and he puts the pieces together. It’s not hard, really. He shifts Waddles onto his shoulder, makes his way down the hallway behind the counter towards his girlfriend’s office.

(He didn’t have to read her name to know it was hers, with the index card taped over it and her alias scrawled over it. He always found it kind of funny that she still insisted on going by that name, but he wouldn’t question it.

Meant he could make lots of bee jokes whenever she wore her trademark black-and-yellow hoodie.)

He raps his knuckles gently on the pattern, a subtle pattern to his knocks. One, three, two.

“Come in,” he hears through the door. Longshot gently turns the handle and slips through the door, closing it behind him. He doesn’t get a chance to turn around before his girlfriend is next to him.

Smellerbee tucks herself under his arm, burrows into his shoulder. He chuckles, gently folds her into his arms as he guides over to the nearest chair. He creaks as he sits them down, and for a moment he thinks it’s about to break, but it holds. (Barely.)

“Rough day?” he rasps, running a hand over Smellerbee’s back. She just shrugs.

“Bit better now,” she mumbles, picking at an invisible thread on his sweatshirt. He leans down, gently kisses her cheek, and she chuckles.” Okay, Shot, ‘lot better.”

Waddles caws, hops off Longshot’s shoulder and onto Bee’s head, settles down on top of her hair, and he can’t help but chuckle.

“Waddles, what the hell are you doing?” she mutters, fumbling with one hand for the iguanakeet. The lizard pecks at her hand as Smellerbee sits up in Longshot’s lap.” Why the hell did we get this guy again?”

Longshot smirks, and signs, Because he makes you smile.

Waddles hops from Bee’s head to her hand, and Bee finally lets out a small chuckle as Waddles nibbles at a piece of her hair.

“Yeah,” she whispers,” he does, doesn’t he?”

She leans over, gives Longshot a light kiss; he brings one hand up against the curve of jaw, resting their foreheads together.

“Thanks for coming by,” she whispers against his lips.” I needed this.”

Longshot smiles. Anytime, he nods.

“...think you could help me with the dragonlings, now?”

All he can do is groan.

(The dragonlings might love him, but he doesn’t love them, especially after they burnt off his eyebrows.

He loves his girlfriend, though, and for her? Well, he’ll put up with the dragonlings, and a lot more.)

------

Waddles

“Hey,” she says after a moment. She can’t help but think about this entire night - about dinner at a no-name restaurant better than anything she’s had before, about walking around the town with her arm looped in his, about the way he’d looked after that kid who had gotten lost without his parents, about his ridiculous jokes and the way he could find something to laugh about in everything.

She hasn’t had a date - hell, a night like this…ever, she thinks. It’s easier, simpler than she’s used to. (Azula liked the finer things in life, but this is…it’s nice. Really, really nice.)

“Hey,” Jet drawls, and after a moment asks,” What’s on your mind?”

“Just thinking,” she purrs.

He raises an eyebrow.” ‘Bout what?”

There’s a long moment, her stomach fluttering again - what’s with her? He’s just a guy, she’s talked to plenty of them in her life (none like Jet, though, something in her says; none like Jet) - before she finally works up the nerve to speak again.

“Can we…can we do this again?” she asks slowly. She doesn’t miss the sudden, ecstatic glow in his eyes, the way his cheeks turn a shade of red.

Jet smiles and reaches out, gently takes her hand; a tingle goes up her arm as his thumb strokes over her knuckles.” Sounds like a plan, princess.”

She definitely doesn’t blush, her heart thundering as he takes her hand, presses a light kiss to her knuckles.

Princess. She likes that.

(“I was right, wasn’t I?” Zuko smirks when she walks into his apartment with Jet on her arm a week later.

“In your dreams,” she quips, but he just laughs. For once, she doesn’t stop him. Instead, she just gives her brother a hug, and whispers in his ear a soft thank you.

Yeah. He’d been right. For once in his life, Zuko was right.

And oh, how that had paid off. Ten days and two thousand miles of driving later, and here they are.

They’d pulled off somewhere in the northern Earth Kingdom a few hours ago, and the first snows of the year were just beginning to fall up here. Suki, he knows, is asleep in the car, curled up under her favorite blanket, the fuzzy one with all the fans on it.

(He’d never quite figured out her obsession with the fans. Sure, yeah, they were Kyoshi’s favorite weapon, and his girlfriend was an absolute nerd for badass women, especially Kyoshi, but did she really need a blanket with them on it?

Ah, well. It made her happy, so it didn’t really matter.)

They’re a hundred miles from the nearest city, headed towards a national park or some such - some sort of scenic overlook place Suki had said she’d always wanted to go to that he’d never heard of. But Suki swore it was beautiful, and, well, that was enough for him.

They’d stopped at least an hour ago to sleep for a few hours, but Sokka just couldn’t close his eyes. But the moment he stuck

It’s the stars. It’s a new moon tonight, and the stars are everywhere, a giant river of light arcing across the sky, and it’s gorgeous. It almost…almost looks like home, at his dad’s house in the South Pole. Sokka takes a quick drink from his water bottle, sets it back against the hood of his car, pulls his jacket a little tighter around him. The constellations are different, here, and he doesn’t quite know them all yet, but he can pick out a few.

He can just barely see his favorite - Yuka, the great bear, Nanook’s sister that guarded hunters on cold winter nights. (It’s funny, he thinks, because Yuka was named Ursa in the Fire Nation - the same as his stepmom. It fit her way too well, if you asked him. She was sweet but Tui’s gills, she had moments where she scared him.)

Sokka nearly jumps out of his skin as a car door opens next to him, but he settles fast - it’s just Suki.

“Hey, babe,” she whispers into the gloom, her breath frosting up in the air as she gently closes the door. He turns, leans down to gently press a kiss to her lips.

“Hey, Suki,” he whispers against her lips. She pulls away, only to slide behind him and wrap her arms around him, pulling her big fan blanket around both of them and resting her chin on his shoulder, tilting her head against his.

“You okay?” she whispers, kissing him on the cheek.

He snorts. His girlfriend’s arms wrapped around him, in the middle of nowhere with no responsibilities, looking at a river of stars with the girl he loves, the same girl he was thinking of asking to marry him?

Yeah. Yeah, he’s okay. More than a little okay.

“Close your eyes.” Katara’s voice is a soft purr in his ear, her tone gentle but commanding. Zuko closes his eyes immediately. “Good boy. But I want to make sure you keep being my good boy, so I’m going to put a blindfold on you, okay?”

Zuko nods as he swallows hard. “Whatever you want to do to me, Master.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

After a moment, a soft strip of fabric—silk, if he’s not mistaken—slides over his eyes. He feels Katara’s cool fingers brush over his temples before she ties the blindfold gently behind his head. Her fingers trail down the back of his neck and along his shoulders, raising gooseflesh on his skin. He holds himself still as her hands travel along his arms, feeling the curves of his biceps. It tickles as she touches the sensitive skin on the inside of his elbows and works her way down to his wrists and back up to his shoulders again.

“How does that feel?” she asks softly.

“Very good,” Zuko replies honestly, his head cocking in the direction of her voice.

“Good. Can you stand up for me?”

He’s been kneeling naked on a pillow on the floor beside the bed, but now he stands up. He can sense Katara standing behind him. His skin prickles, and with his eyes covered, his hearing is heightened so he can hear her gentle breathing.

“Get on the bed and lay on your back.”

Zuko does as he’s told, the cool silk sheets feeling amazing against him. He listens as she moves onto the bed, kneeling beside him. His entire body is shivering with anticipation, waiting to see what she’ll do next.

“Hey, moonflower,” Lu Ten says as the door closes behind him. She smiles as Lu Ten leans over the couch, gives her a soft kiss. (He’s adorable - so, so adorable. He’d…he’d be a good dad. If he wanted that.

Oh, Tui above - did he want that? It’s the question that’s been burning in her mind.

She’s been nervous all day, and she knows he’s been able to feel it, knows that’s he’s been confused and worried.

She’d done her best to tell him she was okay, but she could tell: Lu Ten was still worried.)

“Hey,” she whispers, and after a moment - her throat dries in a flash, and she has to swallow to keep going - before she continues.” We…need to talk.”

His brow furrows as he walks around the couch, settles next to her. He puts an arm around her, and she tucks her head into his shoulder.” About…what?”

Yue takes a deep breath, tangles her fingers with his. (She can do this; come on, Yue. She can do this.)

“Do you…do you remember that date we went on? In April?” she asks. She remembers it, remembers it so well - a beautiful dinner by the lake and a concert for her favorite band and some drinks at a bar afterwards with friends, and then they’d come back to the apartment and he’d set up a bunch of candles and roses and…it had been amazing. (It had been her favorite date, the best one she’d ever been on.)

“Yeah…what about it?” he nods, rubbing the back of her thumb with his.

“Well, we…weren’t completely safe,” Yue whispers. There’s no other way to do this. She has to just say it.” Lu Ten, I…I’m pregnant.”

“Pregnant,” he says after a moment.” You’re…you’re sure?”

She nods, and there’s one, two, three beats. She can feel him through their bond: confusion, shock, amazement, and then…then blazing happiness, like the sun itself in the room. She yelps as Lu Ten practically jumps off the couch, picking her up and twirling her in the air.

“You’re pregnant,” he laughs.” Oh, sweet Agni above, we’re…we’re gonna have a baby.”

He dives in, presses his lips to hers and kisses her absolutely breathless. She doesn’t need him to say it, she can feel it.

He’s beyond happy. (He…he wants this. Wants to be a dad - she can barely believe it.)

“You’re not…upset?” she asks quietly as they break apart.

Lu Ten raises an eyebrow.” Why wouldn’t I be happy?”

“It’s just…it’s so soon, and we haven’t even…” she bites her lip, looks away.

“Yue, look at me,” he says, cupping her cheek, turning her head back towards his.” I love you, okay? There, I said it. I. Love. You.”

There's only one thing she can do: stand up on her tip-toes, and press her lips to his. It’s all pretty fast, she knows, but at the same time, she knows what she feels, and knows what she feels. In her heart, and in his.

“I love you, too,” she whispers, and kisses him again, slow, this time, and sweet as can be, cradling her boyfriend’s face in her hands.

“This…does mean one thing, though,” Lu Ten whispers against her lips.

She groans,” Please don’t say it, Lu.” He’s gonna say it anyway. She knows - he’s definitely gonna say it anyways.

Lu Ten just grins.” We’re gonna need a bigger place.”

(Always referencing his favorite movie.

“Agni damn it,” he mutters.” Fucking…shit. This can’t be happening.”

“Why the hell would you think I would live with you?” Katara snarls.” You can’t possibly believe I’d ever-”

“I didn’t fucking know!” he yells.” All I did was answer the ad and the landlord put me here. I didn’t know it would be you!”

“You didn’t think to ask?!”

“No!” he snaps, but after a moment he just sighs, slumps over. He just…he just looks like shit.

“I…I don’t have any other place to go,” he sighs, running a hand through his hair.” Just…give me a while to figure this out.”

Katara sighs, pinches the bridge of her nose - La drown it. La fucking drown it. (The one time, the one time she wants to be the one to put her foot down, and she just…can’t.

She’d only ever seen him look angry, but now he just looks…defeated. Confused. Tired. There’s bags under his eyes and his hair is a mess and his clothes are dirty and wrinkled and…she just feels bad for him.

She can’t turn away someone who needs help. Even if that someone is a Kenshin.)

“Alright, fine,” she finally relents, stepping aside and waving him inside.” You can stay.”

He takes a deep breath, sighs, and it’s like a weight just lifts off his shoulders.

“Thank you, Katara. Just…thank you.”

------

It’s two weeks after Zuko gets there that she finally wakes screaming.

The scream rips out of her throat as she wakes, flailing for her bedside light as she shoots up straight. She breathes hard, heart racing, pounding like thunder. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath - in, four, out, four, in, four, out, four, over and over and over - as she reaches up, grabs onto her mothers necklace.

(The dreams still come, sometimes. Not often, but they do.

It just had to be this one. It had to be. It had to be the worst one, the one she dreads most of all, and she just wishes that Sokka or Suki were here and-)

Katara yelps as the door bursts open, interrupting her thoughts, and suddenly Zuko is in the doorway, flames flaring to life just above his palm.

“What the hell, Zuko?” she asks, pulling her knees to her chest and bundling a blanket around herself.

“I…I heard you scream and I thought…I don’t know,” he says, dousing the flame in his palm.” Sorry, I just, uh…you okay?”

She glances away, chewing on her lip. How much…how much does she even tell him? It’s not like he’d even been that bad of a roommate; actually, he’d been kinda fun. Done his fair share of cleaning, cooked every now and again, watched stupid TV shows and movies with her once or twice, offered his help when she needed it - everything a good roommate would do. A good person.

And that’s the confusing part - he’s a Kenshin. The same family that had run an organized crime empire, the same one responsible for ruining the lives of so many back home in the South Pole - the same family that had ordered her mother’s death.

(‘That’s the one thing we have in common,’ Zuko had told her that once, during a break in the trial. He’d come and sat next to her on a bench, given her a cup of water, and just talked to her. Told her about his mom, and she’d told him about hers.

She’d never quite forgotten the look on his face, the one time he seemed like an actual person.

Maybe he’d…maybe he’d understand, if what he said was true.)

Zuko was a Kenshin, but maybe she’d been letting that name mean more than it actually did. Maybe…maybe Zuko deserved a chance.

“Why do you care?”

“It, uh…I thought you were having a nightmare,” he whispers quietly into the gloom. Katara sighs and rests her forehead on her knees, gestures at the foot of her bed. The bed creaks a little as he takes a seat - he might as well be sitting right next to her, though, for how close it feels.

There’s a long moment before Katara finally rasps,” How’d you know?”

“Cause…cause I get them, too,” he admits, looking away.” Nightmares, I mean.”

“You…you do?”

“Yeah,” he rasps.” Have for years now. So…I know what it’s like.”

“So…what do you want?”

“Just…I’m here for you. I-if you need it. That’s all,” he murmurs.

Katara sighs. She’d normally ask her brother, and she’d always thought that Zuko was horrible - okay, she’d known he wasn’t horrible, but she’d never liked him that much - but maybe she can give him a chance. She unravels herself, twists around, and lays her head gingerly on his shoulder.

She’s not sure what she’s expecting, but it’s not for him to be incredibly, delightfully warm and solid.

“Uh…Katara?” Zuko asks; he shuffles like he’s about to shy away, only to stop when Katara puts a hand on his arm, leans in a little closer.

“Can we just…stay like this for a while?” she murmurs. (La’s gills, he’s warm and it’s so, so comfortable. She doesn’t want to move.)

“Uh…yeah,” Zuko whispers. He gingerly wraps an arm around her shoulders, tugs her a little closer, and oh, spirits; she’s going to fall back to sleep, she swears.” Comfy?”

She just hums, wraps her blanket a little tighter around her; Zuko chuckles. As the haze of sleep starts to fill her brain, Katara can’t help but think it’s a nice sound.

When she wakes up, he’s gone, but the apartment smells like french toast and coffee and there’s a plate waiting for her. He gives her an awkward little smile when she walks out into the kitchen - why does she think it’s cute? - and she can’t help but smile back.

Jin.

He gulps; she’d asked him for a new contact picture, to replace the old one, and he’d picked that one. It’s one of his favorite pictures of him - why wouldn’t he pick it? Zuko had never thought, though, that she’d…she’d make him the background on her phone.

He can still remember that date they went on, five years ago; he’d been angry and annoyed the whole time, not really sure what he was doing, but it had been…it had been fun. When he met her again two years later - the real him, this time; no lies - she’d told him in no uncertain terms that he better not lie to her again, but…they could at least be friends.

(He had a crush on her, he knows - had for months now.

Sokka and Jet kept telling him to act on it, but he couldn’t. He’d already screwed up once with her, and he just…he didn’t want to lose the friend she’d become.)

The phone buzzes in his hand, and Zuko’s heart skips a little as his name flashes on the screen. He tries not to read too much into the little heart next to his name. He hesitantly answers the call, brings the phone to his ear.

“Hello?” he asks slowly?”

“Zuko?” Oh, thank the sun, it’s her.” Thank the earth, I thought you might have my phone.”

“Ah, yeah,” he chuckles breathlessly.” Yeah, I do. Guess I picked yours up by accident.”

She snorts, and he can picture her rolling her eyes.” Feels like something that would happen in a stupid movie. Listen, are you, uh, still at work by any chance?”

“Zuko!” Jee’s voice rings from the kitchen.” Get your ass in here, kid! This ain’t naptime!”

“Coming!” he yells back.

“I take that as a yes,” Jin laughs.” Mind if I swing by and we can give our phones back?”

“Yeah, sure,” he says, breathless.” I gotta go back to work, but you can come by when we close.”

“So it’s a date?” Jin says.

“Sure,” he smiles.

An hour. Just an hour.

------

“So, I uh…I saw your lock screen.”

Jin freezes, her cup of tea held at her lips.” You, uh, you did? Ah, schist, of course you did.”

Zuko chuckles, tugs at his shirt - he can feel his cheeks heating up. He’s sure his face is bright red; it wouldn’t be the first time she made that happen.

“I was…a little surprised,” he admits. Jin’s cheeks flush bright red, but she holds his gaze, an awkward little smile on her face.

“You make a good picture,” she says.

He snorts.” Thanks, Jin.” She’s flirting with him, he knows that. (He’s not quite the unobservant kid he was at sixteen.)

“...so…you know,” Jin sighs, leaning back.” I can change it, if you want.”

“No!” Zuko says.” No, it’s okay.”

“Just ask her out already, you dumbass!” Jee’s voice carries out from the kitchen, and Zuko cringes. Jee pokes his head out from the kitchen, and points straight at Jin.” Jin, if he doesn’t do it in the next five minutes, you ask him out. Knock some sense into him, while you’re at it.”

Zuko gulps as Jee disappears, and Jin turns back to face him.

“He seems…nice,” she notes.” So…what now?”

“I…guess we follow his instructions,” Zuko says.” So…dinner?”

A smile creeps onto Jin’s face.” Zuko, is history repeating itself?”

Yue glances up as he walks back in, a cup of tea clutched in his hand. She can’t keep her eyes off the mark on his forearm: her mark. A koi fish, pure white like her hair, with a black dot on the head, swimming amongst the reeds of a clear little pool.

“Here,” Lu Ten says quietly, sitting next to her at the table. He doesn’t say a word otherwise, but she doesn’t really mind. She imagines he’s probably feeling the same as her - actually, she knows he is. It’s just barely there, at the edge of her senses. A distant feeling, like a campfire that she can just barely feel the warmth of them.

He’s surprised. A little overwhelmed. Happy, but also…confused.

Definitely the same as her.

(She, at least, has Sokka. Yue could feel him through their bond; pride, encouragement, happiness. It makes her smile.

What they had had fizzled out years ago, but the dork was still her best friend.

Lu Ten, as far as he’s told her, has no other soulmate.)

She wraps her around the mug, takes a small sip - assam, with just a hint of honey to cut the bitterness. It’s delicious.

“Your father is good at this,” she murmurs.

Lu Ten cracks a smile, winces as he works his wrist. The bond was uncomfortable when it first formed, and the mark even more so; that he’s taking the pain so easily is amazing.

“Yeah, dad has been working on his teas for a while,” he replies, taking a sip from his own mug.

They’re both avoiding the elephant in the room. She can see on Lu Ten’s face that he wants to talk about it, but he seems to be waiting for her. She appreciates that, but she’d…rather get this over with.

Yue had always liked Lu Ten - liked him a lot. Honestly, if she were willing to admit it to herself, she probably had a bit of a crush on him. He’d always cut a very fine figure, and he had an easy smile and was always helping the older ladies and making jokes and giving her that smile when he sees her, the one that makes her heart flip, and -

(Frustration bleeds through her bond with Sokka. Just ask him already! He’d probably be saying if he were here.

Go away, nerd, she shoves back. He’s not wrong, though.)

“So…what do we do now?” Yue finally asks, breaking the silence, tangling one finger in a lock of her hair.

Lu Ten shrugs.” I…don’t know.” After a moment, he glances at her, a hopeful little glint in his eyes.” You, uh, want to go get dinner?”

Her heart flips, and before she can stop herself, she nods.

“Dinner. Dinner is good.”

She reaches towards their bond as they walk out the door, the one so new that the dust hasn’t had time to settle and it still stings a little like a fresh tattoo; all she can feel is happiness, and a tinge of relief.