Archive of Our Own ^beta

The table was a mess of empty bowls, sticky chopsticks, and laughter.

Lunch at the Jasmine Dragon had become something of a tradition in recent days, ever since the war ended and peace started to feel real. The walls of the teahouse glowed golden in the early afternoon light, warm and flickering, and the air still smelled faintly of jasmine and roasted duck.

Suki leaned comfortably against Sokka's side, her head nestled on his shoulder as she popped the last dumpling into her mouth. Toph, seated cross-legged on the floor, lazily flicked a spoon into the air using her foot. Zuko sat stiffly beside them all, but there was a rare, relaxed glint in his eye as he took a long sip of tea. Sokka, for once, looked perfectly content, his arm slung around Suki and a full belly making him drowsy.

Katara sat closest to Aang, their knees nearly touching beneath the low table. Her hand had somehow found his during dessert, and he'd been smiling about it ever since. He didn't say much—just occasionally looked her way like he couldn't believe she was really there, really his.

"Okay," Katara said at last, scooping up her empty bowl and setting it gently aside. "So… who's on dish duty?"

All four heads snapped up.

"Not it!" Sokka blurted, one hand flying into the air. "I cooked!"

"You cut one cabbage," Katara shot back.

"A vital cabbage!" he defended.

"I'm not doing dishes," Toph said flatly, arms crossing. "I've been eating with my senses all day. That's exhausting."

Zuko blinked slowly. "I did the tea."

"No, Uncle did the tea," Suki corrected, nudging him. "You just burned the first batch."

Zuko frowned. "Which still counts as effort."

"Wait," Katara narrowed her eyes. "You're all leaving it to me and Aang?"

"Absolutely not," Suki said, raising both hands. "I didn't survive an entire war just to end up scrubbing sea prune residue out of bowls."

Katara looked pointedly at Aang. "Well? Your Avatar privilege is not gonna get you out of this one."

Aang raised a hand in mock innocence. "I didn't say anything!"

"You looked like you were thinking it."

"I was actually thinking that you looked really pretty today," he said with an impish grin.

Katara blinked, caught off guard, and tried not to smile. "Flattery isn't going to save you either."

"You're right." Aang tilted his head, his grin widening. "That's why I propose… a competition."

Sokka gasped as if Aang had just suggested a royal decree. "Yes. YES. Oh, that's perfect."

Toph perked up. "Go on…"

Aang shrugged. "We battle for it. Friendly contests. Winner gets to skip the dishes."

"Loser has to clean all this?" Katara gestured at the mess around them.

"And dry," Aang added.

Toph let out a low whistle. "Ruthless."

Zuko nodded once, slowly. "I respect it."

And just like that, the room split.

"I'm obviously on Aang's side," Toph said, cracking her knuckles. "He's got the reflexes of an airbender."

Zuko gave a tight nod. "Aang's the Avatar. He's probably trained for this."

Suki looked scandalized. "Excuse me? Katara's been wiping the floor with people the entire war! I'm with her."

Sokka's eyes darted between them. "Wait—no, don't do this to me. Don't make me choose."

"You have to pick a side, Snoozles," Toph said, jabbing him in the ribs.

He looked between Aang—his best friend, his bro—and Katara—his sister, and also someone who once threatened to drown him over a burnt fish.

He sighed, defeated. "Ugh. Fine. Katara. But I don't like it."

Katara smirked at Aang, chin raised. "So. Still feeling confident?"

"I mean…" Aang leaned a little closer, his voice lower, teasing, "…you're competitive. But I'm sneaky."

"Oh, I know how sneaky you are," she said, trying not to blush.

Toph made a gagging noise and covered her ears. "Ugh! Someone blind me! Oh wait—"

"Okay, okay!" Sokka said, clapping his hands. "Let's pick the first event! Come on, this is too good."

"Agni Kai," Zuko said flatly.

"No firebending!" Katara and Aang chorused.

Suki leaned forward thoughtfully. "How about something classic? Like… arm wrestling?"

"No bending—that includes arms," Katara said, narrowing her eyes.

"Yeah," Toph added with a smirk. "Otherwise, Twinkle Toes here's just gonna cheat with earthbending."

Sokka threw his hands in the air. "Ugh, I don't care what it is, just let it be something dramatic and ancient and full of honor!"

Aang's expression brightened. "What about a staring contest?"

Katara arched a brow. "Seriously?"

He nodded, eyes wide and innocent. "First to blink… loses."

Toph rubbed her hands together. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."

Aang and Katara moved to opposite sides of the tea room floor, both sitting cross-legged, mirroring each other. Aang folded his hands in his lap, calm and monk-like. Katara rolled her shoulders and narrowed her eyes, pure Water Tribe focus. The rest of the group gathered behind them like a peanut gallery with front row seats.

Sokka stepped between them dramatically, one hand raised high like an official referee. "Alright, you two. No blinking. No eye-rubbing. No distractions. First one to cave washes every last dish. Got it?"

Katara gave a curt nod.

Aang offered a smile so gentle it nearly cracked her façade.

"Three…" Sokka said, drawing out the moment with flair.

"Two…"

"GO!"

Silence.

The room fell still as Katara and Aang locked eyes. For the first few seconds, it was tense—pure challenge radiating off of Katara as she bore into Aang like she could win by willpower alone. Aang, on the other hand, looked like he'd just stepped into the Spirit World and found the moon.

From the sidelines, Toph cupped her hands around her mouth. "Let's go, Twinkle Toes! Think of the soap you're not gonna touch!"

"Stay strong, Katara!" Suki called. "Think of how smug he'll be if he wins!"

"He already looks smug!" Zuko muttered.

"No, that's just his face," Sokka said. "He's got one of those faces."

Aang, meanwhile, hadn't even flinched. If anything, his expression softened.

"You have really beautiful eyes," he said quietly, not breaking his gaze.

Katara blinked—almost.

Her jaw twitched. "Trying to distract me?"

"No," he said, voice low. "Just telling the truth."

"Ugh," groaned Toph. "Make it stop. My ears are curdling."

Suki laughed. "You're just mad he's winning."

"He's not winning yet," Sokka insisted, pacing like a nervous coach. "Come on, Katara, think about dirty teacups. Think about how gross the dishwater's gonna get. Channel your rage!"

Minutes passed. Real, actual minutes.

Zuko crossed his arms. "This has gone on way too long."

"They're not human," Suki whispered.

Toph lay flat on her back. "I think I dozed off twice already."

But neither Katara nor Aang budged.

Katara's eyes were watering. She squinted slightly, then forced them open wider. Aang just kept looking at her like she was the sun itself.

"You're… not even trying to win, are you?" she said under her breath.

Aang smiled softly. "I am. But it's hard to care when I get to do this."

And then—blink.

Katara cursed under her breath, leaning back with a dramatic groan and rubbing her eyes. "Nooo."

Before anyone else could react, Aang leaned forward, cupped her cheek, and kissed her. It was warm and soft, but not quick this time—not a passing peck. He lingered for just a moment, thumb brushing her cheekbone as his lips met hers with a tenderness that made her forget they had an audience.

Katara kissed him back almost immediately, tilting forward as her hand found his knee for balance. The sounds of their friends melted away, just for a second—just long enough for the world to feel like it was only the two of them, caught in a sweet, unexpected victory.

When they finally pulled apart, Katara blinked again, breath a little uneven. "What was that for?"

He shrugged sheepishly. "I couldn't handle staring at you like that the whole time and not being able to do anything about it."

Katara's eyes widened slightly—and then the color rushed to her cheeks, fast and unmistakable. A full, uncontainable blush bloomed across her face, and Aang couldn't help the bright grin that spread across his own in response.

She swatted his arm, flustered. "That's not fair! I only lost because you were being all sweet and romantic!"

"I was being honest," he said, laughing gently.

"Well, I want a rematch."

Aang rubbed his eyes with both hands, groaning. "I would love to give you a rematch, but my eyeballs can't physically take another one. I think they're permanently dried out."

"Then it's settled!" Sokka suddenly cut in, striding to the center of the room with a sparkle in his eye like he'd been waiting his whole life for this moment. "If we can't have round two in a battle of blinkless agony, then we will settle this the only way we know how…"

He paused dramatically, then threw his arms wide.

"Welcome… to the DISH GAMES!"

Everyone stared at him.

"…What?" said Zuko flatly.

Sokka cleared his throat and forged ahead, undeterred. "That's right, folks! Two competitors. One dish mountain. A series of totally arbitrary but undeniably thrilling challenges to decide who gets clean hands… and who gets pruney fingers of shame!"

"Did you come up with that just now?" Toph asked, suspicious.

"Obviously not," Sokka said. "I've had this idea for years. Now! Here's how it works. Katara and Aang will go head-to-head in a best-of-five showdown. First to win three rounds is declared the ultimate champion of kitchen dodging."

"Do I get a crown?" Aang asked, amused.

"No, but you get to not wash a pile of other people's sea prune bowls," Suki pointed out.

"Sounds like a crown to me," Aang said.

"Right now," Sokka continued, getting back into his announcer persona, "our current score is one to zero! Aang is in the lead with one sweet, emotionally-charged victory under his belt."

Katara groaned. "You make it sound like I was seduced into losing."

"You kind of were," Toph said.

"Anyway," Sokka said, spinning on his heel. "Because Katara lost the first round, she gets to choose the next event! Choose wisely, sister."

Katara crossed her arms, chin lifted in determination. "Then I pick something I know I can win."

She stepped forward, eyes locking with Aang's again—but this time they were full of fire, not fluster.

"Waterbending contest."

Toph let out a long, low whistle. "Oooh boy."

Zuko glanced between the two of them, clearly intrigued. "Define… contest?"

A slow, confident smile spread across Katara's face. "You'll see."

Aang gulped playfully, then stood and rolled back his shoulders. "Bring it on."

The group shuffled outside, their laughter and light banter carrying through the warm afternoon air as they set up by the pond near the Jasmine Dragon. Water from the pond lapped gently at the edges while the "audience" took their places at the sidelines, ready to witness the showdown.

Aang and Katara stood next to one another in front of the sparkling pool of water with matching looks of determination on their faces. For Katara, it was about redeeming herself in the wake of her defeat in the staring contest, and for Aang, it was about maintaining his lead in this competition.

"LET'S GO KATARA, YOU'VE GOT THIS!" Sokka shouted, while Suki, Toph, and Zuko all visibly winced.

"There's literally zero reason for you to yell," Zuko said, already far beyond the point of exasperation. "She's standing right there."

"It's for motivation, relax," Sokka said with a sly smirk. "Besides, you clearly don't get it. Water Tribe for life."

Toph's face lit up with a smirk of her own. "Motivation, huh? That's actually not a bad idea." And then, equally as loudly, she shouted, "Hey, Twinkle Toes! If you lose to your girlfriend, you'd better prepare yourself to be mocked about it for the rest of your days!"

"Will you all knock it off?" Katara snapped, glaring over her shoulder at the peanut gallery. It was a shock they hadn't actually brought popcorn to snack on, even after the meal they'd all eaten. "We're trying to do something here!"

"Yeah, we know," Sokka griped. "And I'm on your side so I don't know why you're getting annoyed. Speaking of which, no pressure or anything, but if you lose this waterbending contest, I might have to disown you as my sister."

"Oh, no, that'll be such a tragedy," Katara replied with scathing sarcasm.

Aang now glanced over at her with a cheeky grin and a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "You know, Sifu… It kinda feels like you're stalling right now."

Katara froze, a light blush filling her cheeks. "I'm not!" she insisted. "It's our friends' fault! Are you all done with your commentating over there so we can finally start?"

"Wait, hang on," Suki said, a grin of her own forming across her lips as she turned to the group. "What do you say we make these bets a little more interesting?"

"How much money are we talking?" Sokka asked immediately.

"No, not money," Suki clarified. "I was thinking something more along the lines of, the losers have to…"

"Do whatever the winners say, no questions asked," Toph suggested, beaming like a kid at a candy store getting first dibs on everything.

Zuko, however, was quick to squash that idea. "That's… definitely illegal. And I should know as the Fire Lord."

Toph didn't miss a beat with that one. "And as the Fire Lord, you should give your friends special treatment."

"Why would I do that?" Zuko asked.

"Because you're part of Team Avatar forever, Sparky," Toph declared.

Zuko rolled his eyes, but it was clear he couldn't argue with her there. Sokka, meanwhile, had placed a hand to his chin, deep in thought, when suddenly his face brightened with an idea and he snapped his fingers.

"I've got it," he said, and a sneaky grin took over his face. "The losers have to give Appa a bath."

"Yes, that's perfect!" Suki said in excitement, now tossing a look at Toph and Zuko. "Hope you two are ready to scrub because there's no way Katara is going to lose."

Zuko was quick to jump in again. "Okay, first off, there's no way Aang, the Avatar, is actually going to lose. It's physically impossible. And second, even if by some crazy miracle, Katara does end up winning…"

"I heard that!" Katara snapped again.

However, Zuko purposely ignored her as he pressed on, "…there's no way I'm going to agree to give Appa a bath. I have servants to do that kind of stuff."

"Excuses, excuses. You're either in or out, buddy," Sokka said, face still lit up with that playful smirk of his, challenging his friend to accept the conditions of the bet.

As if knowing he'd only lose this battle if he tried to argue any further, Zuko heaved a heavy sigh. "Fine," he said, only to quickly add, "You'd better not lose, Aang."

"Okay, I'll do my best," Aang said, and he met Katara's gaze once more, a warm smile reaching his lips. "Although, I'm about to face off against a waterbending master, so the odds are stacked against me here."

Katara smiled back at him. "That's sweet. But again, flattery will get you nowhere. Let's do this."

"After you," Aang said, gesturing to the pond.

Katara's smile turned into a full-blown smirk. "With pleasure."

She raised her arms, drawing forth a spiraling stream of water, her eyes narrowing with a look of concentration, a look that showed she was capable of destroying anyone in her path if she had to.

With a precise rotation of her wrist, the water swirled rapidly to create a translucent funnel, driving higher and higher toward the sky, before she suddenly released it back into the pool of water. Once finished, she glanced back at Aang with a sly grin, waiting for him to do the same move.

Aang took a deep, centering breath. He raised her arms just as she had done, shooting the water out of the pond to create a similar rapidly-moving spiral with just as much speed and dexterity. He released it back with a gentle splash, then glanced back at Katara expectantly, waiting for her next move.

"Nicely done," she admitted. "But can you do this?"

She swept her right arm forward, creating a curve of water that swiftly wrapped into a ball. Then, clenching her hand into a fist, the water exploded and sloshed back across the pond like scattering raindrops.

"Well," Aang said, "only one way to find out."

Now he brought up his hand, quickly forming a sphere of water, though when he clenched his hand into a fist, the water stretched out instead of exploding across the pond the way hers had done.

A victorious grin spread across Katara's face. "That's T for you."

"'T?'" Sokka repeated from the sidelines. "What's that mean?"

"You clearly need better listening skills," Zuko said, unamused as ever. "They went over the rules with each other before they started. First one who spells out the word 'tea' loses."

"Come on, Twinkle Toes!" Toph hollered. 'Show her what you're made of!"

"Again," Zuko deadpanned. "The yelling here is extremely unnecessary and needs to stop right now."

"And you need to lighten up," Toph countered.

"Guys, quiet," Suki said, eyes locked on the action, her voice filling with confidence as she added, "Katara's got this one in the bag."

Sure enough, as they were speaking, Aang missed another move that Katara had made, something between a water whip and the octopus, only with four strips of water instead of eight, all moving in different directions. When Aang tried to replicate it, it turned into two bursts of water flowing up and the other two flowing down, and Katara folded her arms with a smirk.

"That's T-E," she said smugly. "Would you like to accept defeat right now, or do you want to finish this thing?"

"Never admit defeat, Aang! You can still win this!" Zuko shouted, and when he felt three pairs of eyes on him, he finally looked back at his friends and simply asked, "What?"

"Now you're the one who's yelling," Sokka said with a knowing grin.

"I'm not yelling," Zuko specified. "I'm encouraging at full volume. Big difference."

"Uh huh, sure," Toph said with a sleek, all-knowing grin of her own. "Clearly we've all rubbed off on you. I'm sure Mai will be really happy about that."

Zuko's face dropped. "Yeah… Now you see why she doesn't want to hang out with you guys that much."

"She'll grow to love us just like you did," Sokka said, only grinning wider, leaving Zuko to roll his eyes in annoyance, though he didn't make a point to refute that claim at all.

Meanwhile, Katara and Aang were going back and forth with their waterbending, doing all sorts of intricate tricks. For a while they seemed to be evenly matched, though Katara had yet to make a mistake, and Aang was clearly determined to make a comeback and pull an upset in this contest.

But then, just after Katara completed a new move that involved freezing a stream of water into ice and using another stream of water to crash over it, Aang missed the mark with the water sloshing against the ice, and Katara was already jumping in celebration.

"Yes, that's T-E-A! I won!"

Aang's eyes followed her as she sprang up and landed back on the ground. "Yeah," he said, another glowing smile on his face. "I knew I never stood a chance against you, Sifu."

Katara paused, her eyes softening, though before she could say anything else, the sound of Sokka's cheering broke through as he pumped his fist in the air.

"Yes, way to go, Katara! Water Tribe for life!"

"I knew she would do it!" Suki said, beaming just as brightly.

"Don't get all cocky," Toph said, an aggravated scowl on her face that was similar to Zuko's. "They're all tied up now. Still plenty of competition left."

"Tell you what," Katara said to Aang. "Since you lost this one, I'll let you pick the next contest. Because whatever it is, I'm going to crush you."

"Yeah? I'd like to see you try," Aang said, his eyes illuminating mischievously, signaling that he already had an idea in mind.

Before he could announce it, however—

"Actually," Sokka cut in, raising a hand. "Raincheck?"

Everyone turned to look at him. Katara, Aang, Suki, Toph, and Zuko—all wearing matching expressions of total exasperation.

Sokka blinked. "What?"

"You're kidding, right?" Katara deadpanned.

"You stopped the momentum again," Zuko muttered.

Sokka threw his arms up. "What?! I'm hungry! All this bending and yelling takes a lot out of a guy!"

Toph snorted. "You're always hungry. Your stomach is basically a second personality."

"You're just jealous because I have range," Sokka shot back, patting his belly with pride.

Suki leaned forward suddenly, eyes lighting up. "Wait… what if we use that?"

Aang raised a brow. "Use… Sokka's appetite?"

"Not his appetite. The food," Suki clarified with a grin. "What if the next contest is a bake-off? You two each make dessert for the group—and whichever dish tastes better wins."

Toph's face split into an evil grin. "That's actually genius. You know why? Because it just means even more dirty dishes for the loser to clean."

"High-stakes culinary sabotage," Zuko said under his breath, oddly impressed.

Sokka clapped once. "Ooh! I like this! I will happily volunteer as an unbiased and extremely experienced judge."

Katara smirked. "Unbiased? Right."

"Hey, I took a baking class with the pastry monks of the Southern Air Temple once," Sokka lied effortlessly.

Aang gave him a look. "Sokka, those monks were me."

Katara laughed, covering her mouth. "I mean, I'm not one to back down from a challenge. Especially if it involves dessert."

Aang leaned in slightly, hands tucked behind his back. "Careful. I'm known to be dangerously charming in the kitchen."

"Yeah?" she teased, stepping closer to him. "Because last I checked, you nearly burned toast this morning."

"I was… experimenting," he defended, though the grin on his face said otherwise.

Suki folded her arms and looked between them. "Okay, lovebirds. Save the flirting for after the pudding. You're both making something sweet, right?"

"Sweet. Rich. And totally unforgettable," Katara declared, throwing a wink in Aang's direction.

"Guess we'll see whose dessert is worth washing dishes over," Aang replied, bouncing on his toes with excitement.

Toph cracked her knuckles. "Let the Great Dessert Duel begin."

Zuko sighed. "If someone sets the kitchen on fire, I'm not cleaning it up."

"You're in the losing pool, Sparky," Sokka reminded him with a grin. "You'll be too busy shampooing Appa's undercoat."

Zuko groaned. "This was supposed to be a peaceful day."

"Peace was never an option," Suki said, already pushing chairs out of the way as the competition ramped up.

The kitchen inside the Jasmine Dragon quickly turned into a whirlwind of flour, fruit, seaweed flakes, and passive-aggressive flirting.

Katara was elbow-deep in a bowl of dough, mixing seaweed shavings into the batter with practiced ease. Across the counter, Aang was slicing peaches and berries with swift, clean strokes, moving like he was in some kind of culinary meditation.

"Careful," Katara warned, flicking a bit of flour in his direction. "You keep cutting that fast, and you'll lose a finger."

"I'm an airbender," Aang replied, eyes gleaming. "I could catch the finger before it hit the ground."

She smirked. "Gross."

"You'd heal it," he teased.

"I'd consider it," she said with a raised brow, before nudging his foot with hers beneath the counter.

Despite being in a competition, the two of them moved around the small kitchen with a rhythm that made it feel like they'd been doing this forever. Aang passed her a jar of honey without her needing to ask. Katara opened the oven for him with a flick of water when his hands were full. Their elbows bumped occasionally, their hands brushed, and each time they'd pause—just for a second—before diving back into their task, cheeks slightly pink.

"You know, for enemies in an epic battle of desserts, we're being weirdly domestic," Aang noted as he arranged the fruit slices into a near-perfect spiral inside the pie shell.

Katara leaned over to peer into his pan. "Because we're both perfectionists."

"And adorable," Aang added.

She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Speak for yourself."

"I was."

Katara rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her. "You're lucky you're cute."

"Lucky?" Aang grinned. "You blinked, remember?"

"That's because you flattered me!"

"Works every time," he said proudly.

Soon enough, the oven timer dinged, and the smell of cinnamon, baked peaches, and toasted seaweed filled the room. Aang carefully pulled his golden-brown pie from the oven while Katara laid out her batch of green-speckled seaweed cookies in a perfect fan formation on a lacquered tray.

"Moment of truth," she said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

They carried their desserts out to the main tea room where Suki, Toph, Zuko, and Sokka waited with far too much anticipation.

"Alright!" Sokka declared, standing up and rubbing his hands together like this was the final round of some Earth Kingdom food tournament. "Let the tasting begin!"

Suki reached for a cookie first, taking a small, delicate bite. "Hmm… this is actually really good. I didn't expect the seaweed to pair so well with the sweet dough." She moved on to the pie and took a bite, eyes widening slightly. "Okay. Wow. Aang, this is… this is amazing."

Toph grabbed a cookie and crunched into it with full force. "Nice texture. Not too sweet. Not bad at all."

Then she dove into the pie. "Oh, this is what I'm talking about. Whatever fruit is in here? I want it at every meal forever. Twinkle Toes gets my vote."

Zuko took a bite of the pie, chewed thoughtfully, then frowned. "This is too much. Too sweet. Too… happy."

He reached for a seaweed cookie and took a bite. His posture immediately relaxed. "This is more my speed. Grounded. Balanced. My vote goes to the cookies."

Sokka clapped his hands once. "So that leaves the final decision to me… as it should."

"Shocking," Zuko muttered.

Sokka took one cookie. One pie slice. He took his time chewing both, rubbing his chin with mock intensity. Everyone leaned forward.

"They're both amazing," he declared dramatically. "And this is… tough."

He stood up like he was about to make a public address. "But while I've had seaweed cookies since I was a kid—breakfast, lunch, and dinner some winters—this fruit pie?" He held up the slice like it was a sacred artifact. "This is a century-lost recipe. A nomadic miracle. And for that… I choose Aang."

A cheer burst from the Air Nomad side of the competition. Toph punched the air. Suki groaned playfully and leaned into Sokka's side with an exaggerated sigh.

Katara rolled her eyes but smiled, walking up to Aang with a playful huff. "Alright, I admit it. That pie was pretty incredible."

"Thanks," Aang said, offering her a forkful. "Want a bite?"

She accepted it, letting the flavors melt on her tongue before sighing. "Okay, that's unfair. That's really unfair."

"Your cookies are amazing," Aang said sincerely. "Zuko looked like he finally experienced inner peace for half a second."

She laughed and took a cookie from her own tray, breaking it in half and offering him a piece. "Then I guess we both win."

"Except one of us is still up two to one," he said around a mouthful of cookie.

"Don't get cocky," she warned, even as she nudged him playfully with her shoulder.

"You love it."

"…Yeah, I kind of do."

Just as Katara was happily savoring the last bite of her fruit pie and leaning into Aang's side, Sokka clapped his hands with theatrical flair.

"Alright, lovebirds! That was sweet—literally—but it's time for Round Four of the DISH GAMES!"

Aang and Katara groaned in unison.

"Do we have to?" Katara mumbled, still resting her head on Aang's shoulder.

"We just baked for you people," Aang added, rubbing his eye dramatically. "My vision is still recovering from the staring contest, I've used half my waterbending stamina, and now my arms feel like jelly from whisking three different fruit fillings!"

"Yeah," Katara groaned again, nuzzling slightly closer. "We need a break."

Zuko stepped forward slowly, arms crossed like he was about to deliver some ancient scroll-worthy wisdom. "What if," he said, "we gave you a challenge that didn't require moving at all?"

That got their attention. Both Aang and Katara looked up.

"A battle of… wits."

Aang blinked. "A battle of wits?"

Toph immediately perked up, grinning with delight. "Yes! Finally! Make them use their brains for once!"

"Hey," Aang said with a chuckle, "I've got brains!"

"I just don't always use them," Katara added under her breath, earning a snort from Suki and a smug look from Toph.

Zuko, still entirely straight-faced, stepped back into the spotlight like he was hosting some underground poetry slam. "It's simple. When we say go, you're not allowed to use the letter 'R' in any word you speak. First one to mess up—loses."

A beat of silence.

Then Katara and Aang both burst out, "What? No!"

"Oh, yes," Suki said, grinning like this was already her favorite challenge.

Sokka pumped his fist. "I'm in! This is genius!"

Toph cackled. "This is about to get so good."

Sokka turned dramatically to his girlfriend. "I'm sorry, Suki."

She narrowed her eyes. "For what?"

He looked solemn. "I have to switch teams."

"What?!"

"I mean, the Avatar is always wise," Sokka said with a shrug. "That's like, his thing. Brains, balance, bald. You can't argue with that. I'm putting all my bets on Team Aang!"

"Sokka," Suki growled, arms crossed.

"Sorry, babe," Sokka said, wincing. "You'll just have to give Appa a bath by yourself after this."

"Unbelievable," Katara said, glaring at him. "You betrayed both of us in one breath!"

Suki echoed, "You do realize I'm your girlfriend, right?"

"Allegedly," Toph muttered with a smug little smirk.

But Sokka just puffed out his chest. "Hey, I'm the creator of the Dish Games. Therefore, I create the rules."

Zuko looked vaguely appalled. "That's not how democracy works."

"This isn't a democracy," Sokka said proudly. "This is a Sokkatatorship."

Toph collapsed backward in a fit of laughter.

Katara turned to Aang and muttered under her breath, "We're going to crush this round."

Aang smiled wide. "Only if we don't accidentally crush the alphabet while we're at it."

They exchanged a glance—playful, competitive, and already nervous—as their friends closed in, ready to put them to the test.

"Let the Battle of the Letta You-Can't-Say… BEGIN!" Sokka shouted.

Aang and Katara sat cross-legged on the cushions, leaning slightly toward one another with matching smirks.

Toph leaned in with anticipation. "This is gonna be so good."

"No slips. No excuses," Zuko warned from the side. "This test is all about discipline."

Aang's lips curved into that mischievous little smile. "You look lovely."

Katara's brows lifted. "You look… wow," she said, heat already touching her cheeks. "Like, wow."

Aang tilted his head. "One week with you… best span of time I've had."

Katara's eyes softened. "Same," she replied gently. "Feels like… joy. Like peace."

"You give me this calm… this… lightness," Aang said. "I did not know life could feel like this."

A soft flush spread over Katara's cheeks. "You make it feel so easy. Simple. Like I belong."

Sokka blinked. "They're flirting."

Toph snorted. "No duh."

Suki sighed, "I feel like we're intruding."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Just wait for one of them to mess it up."

But Aang leaned closer, his voice softer now. "You glow. Moon. Sun. Snow. Any time. Always."

Katara's smile deepened. She blinked once, then looked down, letting a little laugh slip past her lips. When she looked back at him, her eyes shimmered with something quiet and deep.

"I feel lucky. To be with you. To see you like this," she said.

Aang's breath caught.

Katara's voice dropped. "To know you. To hold you."

And then she said it. With a gaze so full of warmth it lit him from the inside out.

"I love you."

Aang didn't even pause to think. He simply whispered, full of awe, "Katara."

"AH-HA!" Suki exploded, jumping up like she'd just won the lottery. "He said it! That's a word with R!"

Zuko stood and pointed. "That's it. That's the loss. That's the loss!"

Toph slapped the ground. "YES! Finally! One of you folded!"

But Aang wasn't even listening. His eyes stayed on Katara, soft and shining.

"I love you too," he murmured, voice like a breeze.

They leaned in, lips meeting in a gentle, lingering kiss—one that had nothing to do with winning or losing and everything to do with feeling.

Behind them, chaos resumed.

"You two RUINED the whole point!" Sokka yelled. "It's called a competition! You're supposed to be enemies!"

Suki threw a cushion in their direction. "I knew Aang would fold first!"

Toph just laid flat on her back. "Someone bake me another pie. I need to stress eat."

Zuko had fully turned his back and was muttering something about decency and dignity as he poured himself more tea.

Katara pulled back from the kiss, smiling like she hadn't smiled in days. "So…"

"So," Aang replied, utterly dazed.

She leaned close to whisper, "Looks like I win this one."

"Yeah," Aang said, still breathless. "No doubt."

Sokka flailed his arms. "Tied up! Two-two! This is going down to the final challenge!"

"Heck yes!" Toph said, filled with energy from the rush of sugar. "Winner takes all, losers gotta do those nasty chores! And it sure isn't going to be me!"

"Me neither," Sokka said with a pompous grin. "In fact, I never doubted you, Aang."

Aang finally tore his eyes from Katara long enough to raise a questioning eyebrow at Sokka. "Well, you only just switched to my side, so that's not exactly true, but thanks for the confidence boost, I guess."

"For what it's worth, I still have full confidence that Katara's going to win this whole thing," Suki said. "Now it's just a matter of figuring out the final contest."

"What about balancing on one leg?" Toph suggested as she sidled back over to the cookie tray, popping another seaweed cookie into her mouth with a satisfying crunch.

Zuko glared at her with a judgmental look on his face, watching as she got crumbs everywhere that she didn't bother to wipe up.

"That could take forever," he said. "What about one more endurance competition? Maybe a race."

"No, better yet, an obstacle course," Sokka said, another broad grin lighting up across his face.

"Oh, sure," Katara spat at her brother, "so easy for you to suggest that when you don't have to participate, and you're rooting against me now."

But Sokka was already waving her off. "I'm thinking… A foot race across the perimeter of the Jasmine Dragon, and maybe having to weave in and out of those… cone things."

"'Cone things?'" Zuko repeated. "You mean cones?"

"Right, those things," Sokka said flippantly.

Toph took that opportunity to jump in, in the middle of munching on her third cookie in a row. "And then," she said through her mouthful, "they have to climb a tree and hang upside down it and—"

"Uh, no, I don't think so," Katara cut in. "We're benders, not acrobats."

"Besides," Suki said teasingly, "if you two were hanging from a tree, you'd just end up kissing."

"Gross, I don't need that mental image, thank you very much," Sokka said, his enthusiasm quickly draining.

Suki chuckled at that. "They've already kissed about a dozen times today alone."

"Actually…" Katara turned to Aang, leaning in to press her lips to his in another quick, flourishing kiss that had him blushing long before she finally pulled back from him. Her voice poured out with total warmth as she concluded, "Now it's a baker's dozen."

The grin on Aang's face said it all, smitten beyond words.

Toph only groaned. "Okay, now that you're done being disgustingly sweet with each other, let's get this last contest going!"

"You ready, Aang?" Katara asked with that lingering warmth in her voice reserved only for him.

Aang nodded, still with his half-lidded gaze he couldn't bother to shake. "Never been more ready."

With that, the friends all headed back outside, and after a bit of creative restructuring, they soon had their mini obstacle course all set up and ready to go. Sokka, Zuko, Suki, and Toph stood anxiously on the sidelines, while Aang and Katara stood at the far end of the Jasmine Dragon, the obstacle course laid out in front of them.

Katara glanced over at Aang, who was already staring at her, and her lips ticked up with a smile, soft and sweet. "May the best one win."

"Definitely," Aang said, returning her sweet smile. "Good luck."

"You too," Katara said, and then, because she couldn't help herself, she teasingly threw in, "You're gonna need it."

"We'll see about that," Aang said, already crouching down, ready to take off.

"Okay," Zuko said. "On the count of three. One…"

"Two!" Toph said, rubbing her hands together in anticipation of this final battle.

"Three!" Suki exclaimed.

And they were off.

They'd agreed before the competition started that no bending was allowed. It was all strictly endurance. Yet, unsurprisingly as an airbender, Aang had more natural speed and was quick to take a sizable lead past Katara in the race.

Sokka and Toph were enthusiastically cheering Aang on like their very lives hung in the balance, while Zuko stood with a hardened expression, arms folded, silently watching their every move.

Suki, meanwhile, was practically biting her nails as she anxiously looked on. "Come on, Katara, I know you've got this," she muttered, more to herself than anything.

However, Aang was still very much ahead. Once he reached the opposite end of the Jasmine Dragon, he started twisting through the cones with a lightness to his footsteps that only an airbender could possess.

But if there was one thing Katara had, it was the relentless determination to prove herself against anyone who doubted her. And in this case, that was Toph, Zuko, and now her very own brother. Thankfully, once she reached the cones, she'd gained some momentum, picking up her pace as she weaved through them with lightened footsteps until she actually managed to reach Aang.

They exchanged a look—brief but meaningful, a look that said, you're going down, my love—and Katara finally started to speed past him, hopping over the small hurdles their friends had set up. She cleared the first one, then the second, which was a bit higher, soaring clean past it and landing on her feet with a triumphant thud.

As she ran toward the final hurdle, Katara's eyes narrowed, laser-focused on the finish line ahead. She didn't dare look back at Aang. She didn't have to, as she could feel him right on her trail. He'd cleared the first two hurdles with ease, but once Katara jumped past the third one, she only gained more and more speed, breathing hard, rushing toward that finish line.

And then…

She crossed it.

And immediately everyone imploded.

"YES! Way to go Katara, I knew you could do it!" Suki cheered, quickly turning to her friends. "That's what you get for doubting her! Especially you, Sokka. Whatever happened to 'Water Tribe for life?'"

"This is impossible!" Sokka groaned, throwing his hands into the air. "Aang had the lead!"

"You're telling me," Zuko said with a morose sigh. "Guess I shouldn't have underestimated Katara."

"Twinkle Toes let us down," Toph said bitterly. "I'm so gonna get him back for this. The mocking starts now. And I'm officially on Katara's side with everything from now on."

"Thank you for finally seeing the light," Suki said, grinning widely, basking in the glow of her own victory. "And I'm so going to enjoy watching you three give Appa a deep scrubbing."

They all collectively groaned.

Meanwhile, Katara was still catching her breath, cheeks flushed and a triumphant grin on her face. She glanced up to find Aang right beside her, grinning and slightly out of breath himself.

"Congratulations, Katara," he said, his smile only widening. "The best person won."

Katara grinned back at him, wide and radiant, and she was already leaning in as she said, "Well, now that it's officially over, I can confirm that flattery will, in fact, get you everywhere."

And she kissed him, a bit less gently this time. Aang was more than eager to wrap his arms around her and return the deep kiss, all the while Sokka let out the loudest sigh of displeasure.

"So, we not only have to give Appa a bath," he said, "but we also have to watch the two of them make out? Somehow that feels like a fitting punishment for betting against my sister."

"I feel your pain, buddy," Zuko said somberly.

Toph huffed, turning toward Sokka and Zuko. "Well, boys, we'd better go grab some scrub brushes so we can get this over with."

"Ugh, I seriously hate everything right now," Sokka complained.

"Serves you right for being cocky," Suki teased.

"You're being cocky right now!" Sokka pointed out.

Suki only winked at him, completely unfettered by her boyfriend's souring mood. If anything, it was only adding to the sheer joy of her personal victory. "I get to be cocky," she said. "I'm not the one who lost."

"Now you're just rubbing it in," Toph commented. "Although, to be fair, I can't say I blame you. I'd be doing the same thing." Suddenly then, she bellowed, "Hey, love turtle-ducks, quit kissing already! Aang's got dishes to wash!"

Katara finally broke away from the kiss with a glowing smile and a breathless laugh. Then she turned toward Toph, calling out sweetly, "Correction—we both have dishes to wash."

Aang blinked, head tilting as he glanced at her. "Wait… both? But you won."

She slid her hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze, eyes full of that soft affection only he ever got to see. "I know," she said warmly. "But you let me win that last race. Don't deny it, I know you did." Her voice softened even more, like the words were just for him. "So this is my way of thanking you. Doing the dishes with you? That's the reward."

Aang's eyes went wide for a second, heart clearly knocked off rhythm, before his expression melted into something lovesick and speechless. "You're… amazing."

"Flattery still works," she teased, leaning in and brushing her nose against his for a second before tugging him toward the kitchen.

"Oh, how precious," Suki called out from the sidelines, her tone drenched in mischief. "But just so we're clear…" She turned back to the remaining three with a devilish smirk. "That adorable couple moment doesn't get you off the hook."

Sokka groaned so loudly it could have cracked tiles. "I was hoping you'd forget!"

"Nope," Suki said cheerfully, clapping her hands together. "You, Zuko, and Toph owe our very fluffy, very smelly sky bison the cleanest bath of his life."

Toph folded her arms. "Not fair. I didn't consent to any of this."

"You cheered for the losing team," Suki shot back. "Consequences."

Zuko scowled. "I have people who do this for me."

"And now you are the people who do this," Suki countered sweetly.

With a dramatic huff and muttered complaints, the three trudged toward Appa, who was already lounging in the sun, half-dozing. At the sight of the approaching trio with buckets and brushes, his massive eye cracked open—and then he let out a low, grumpy groan.

"Don't look at me like that," Sokka said, adjusting the bucket under his arm. "This isn't my fault. Blame Aang for falling in love."

Appa blew a puff of air straight into Sokka's face, knocking his hair back and drenching him in an instant.

"WHOA—AGH! Okay! Okay! Starting with you, then!" Sokka spluttered, already soaked as he stumbled forward and grabbed a brush.

Meanwhile, Suki had set up a chair under a perfectly positioned umbrella just a few feet away, a steaming cup of tea in hand, legs crossed as she watched the chaos unfold like it was her favorite entertainment.

"Scrub under his belly!" she called helpfully. "That's where the mud cakes in!"

Toph had already climbed onto Appa's back, bracing herself against his thick fur. "You didn't say we'd need ladders!"

"You're an earthbender," Zuko grunted, splashing water along Appa's side. "Make a ladder."

"Do I look like a construction site?"

"You look like a disaster," Zuko muttered.

"Oh please, you've got the least enthusiasm out of all of us."

"Because this is beneath me."

"Everything's beneath you when you're a royal pain in the—"

"Language!" Suki sang cheerfully, sipping her tea.

Sokka, now elbow-deep in suds and fur, glared up at the sky. "I used to be a warrior," he said to no one in particular. "A hero. I took down Combustion Man. Now I'm a sky bison sponge boy."

Appa sneezed again—this time soaking all three of them—and let out a satisfied gruuummph as he flicked his tail, sending another wave of water right over their heads.

Toph flinched and pointed dramatically. "He did that on purpose. That flying furball is laughing at us."

Suki raised her teacup like a toast. "To karma!"

Back in the kitchen, Katara and Aang peeked out the window at the chaos in the courtyard, the sound of frustrated shouting and Appa's lazy bellow echoing through the air.

"Should we… go help them?" Aang asked, though his grin said he wasn't really serious.

Katara shook her head, slipping her arm around his waist. "Not until we finish these dishes. We earned this peace."

Aang beamed, resting his forehead against hers as the sound of Sokka slipping and yelling again rang through the open window.

"Best punishment ever," Katara whispered with a giggle.

And in the warm afternoon light, with bubbles clinking in the sink and laughter echoing outside, the Dish Games ended not with a winner or a loser—but with the kind of memories that would last long after the suds were gone.