Shout-out to Infinity Aspect, Patryk Sikorski, and jonah suer!

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***

"So there's a waterbending master in the Shifu Colony?" Sokka mumbled. It was late at night and letting Appa fly now wasn't the best decision due to lack of visibility. "Aang, how do you think King Bumi got this information?" He inquired while playing with a circular tile in his hands that he quickly placed it within his pockets, afraid that he might lose the 'key' to meeting with the so-called master provided by Bumi.

"I don't know," Aang smiled widely, "But I can't wait to start learning waterbending! When we find this master, we can also ask for his assistance for the waterbenders caught within Makapu Village."

"Can I learn it, too?" A voice inquired but Sokka ignored it wholly and continued with where Aang left off, "But I still feel weird that Bumi waited for the Fire Nation's Lord to command his army before telling us this information."

It was also Bumi's insistence on them leaving using the cover of the night.

"Heeeyy! I said I want to learn waterbending, too!"

"I don't think that's how it works, Tom," Aang replied, making Sokka groan.

"We decided to ignore him! He just jumped on Appa and refuses to leave!"

"Relax, Sokka, didn't Tom-Tom say that his mom doesn't mind it?" Aang tilted his head curiously while Tom-Tom held onto the edge of the giant saddle over Appa and grinned insincerely.

"You don't get it... I'm stuck with two children... one is alright, two is just unfair!" Sokka smacked his forehead.

*Krrt*

Momo jumped on Sokka before getting down and shuffling through the pouch to pick out a tiny piece of bread.

"Great, three kids," Sokka's expression darkened.

"Hrraaghhh!"

Appa huffed, his voice making Tom-Tom shiver in excitement as he began cheering loudly.

"Four kids... I miss Nik, and Katara. They're great with children," Sokka lay back with his arms spread out while Tom-Tom leaned over, "Say, Uncle Sokka—"

"Just Sokka. I'm no Uncle."

"But you're old."

"Am not! Bumi is old. I'm young."

"... Aang, is this what denial is called?" Tom-Tom looked towards Aang who returned a curious look, "I think so."

"I should have stayed in Omashu," Sokka sighed deeply.

---

"Is your mind clear?" Mai inquired. Her life hadn't changed much aside from the fact that she didn't have to gaze at his fiance's face every morning and deal with the political demands of her father...

Well, there was one other thing...

Right now, Mai sat with Michi in her room and shared their dinner. It had become a norm. Michi seemed to have grown tired of how formal their meals had been in the past and had requested a slightly bigger room from Bumi to accommodate meals, too, something Bumi achieved without much hassle except for jokes that Mai found annoying and futile. After all, those jokes didn't make her laugh so what was the point?

Michi smiled more than before and Mai had a good idea why. After the rush of freedom, Mai had thought that Michi's affair with a 'waiter' was done out of the control of her mind but then she digressed. Why would Ukano want his wife to cheat on him? Understanding that it was probably a consensual affair, Mai couldn't help but look at Michi differently.

"Is my mind clear?" Michi repeated Mai's question, causing her to chuckle at the wording of it, "Sweety, was my mind ever unclear?"

Mai simply ate what had been served and used to the silence between conversations, Michi knew she was losing her daughter's interest. Just when the woman was raking her mind to bring up an interesting topic, Mai spoke up, "It has been some time since those three friends of the Avatar left, right? I found the palace a bit interesting enough at the time. What do you think?"

"Oh," Michi hesitated for a moment before nodding, "It was... interesting for me, too."

'For shame,' Mai rolled her eyes internally, "Really? What did you find interesting?"

Michi blinked, focusing on her food. She loved hanging out with her daughter. It was simply a mother's desire, that's all, and the lack of healthy interaction in the beginning due to various responsibilities she and Ukano had put on Mai's shoulder to help her become a proper lady made Michi feel guilty, too, thus, it was a rare moment where Michi wanted Mai to swiftly return to her room.

*Knock*

*Knock*

A set of hurried knocks made Michi hurriedly stand up, "Come in," she almost sighed in relief.

However, the thought she was lucky enough to dodge Mai's question was flung out of her mind when she was delivered a poorly written note by a certain someone.

— Ma, I'm gonna hang out with Aang on his flying bison! Isn't that super cool? Please, can I go? Oh, I'm also taking Mai's forearms gears and her needles... don't tell her... please...—

Michi's vision swam for a moment as she collapsed on her chair.

"Mom?" Mai frowned, leaning forward to take the note from her hands and her expression instantly stifled.

"He... took my gear?" Mai hissed, livid at her younger brother's antics. She could empathize with the feeling of wanting to escape the palace and supported it wholeheartedly. At least, that way, she wouldn't have to deal with him daily. But to take her gear... and specially crafted needles that could only fit her custom-made forearm guard...

Michi couldn't help but clench the note in her hands.

"Tom-Tom... where is he?" Michi glared at the servant who brought the note as he explained hurriedly.

The Avatar was gone.

---

'Man, I feel bad for some reason... is something bad going to happen? Or is it the fact that the two can be shameless at times, too?' Nik had a distressed expression. He had indeed slept through the evening due to exhaustion. He may not have shown it but bending extensively for so long was the first time for him and it would take experience and growth to suppress these signs.

Now awake, he found himself flanked by Suki and Katara. Suki was fine. She just curled beside him and slept with a peaceful expression, her left hand over his abdomen, loosely hugging him. But Nik, too, was facing Suki while sleeping thus this made the sleeping Katara spoon him.

Nik sat up with a soft sigh. He felt refreshed. The choice to take the bed for himself, even if for the first few hours of the evening, happened to be the correct one for him.

"Huh, what did Aang say... bending is a physical and spiritual act. We move the elements through the body... and mind, as Bumi does, but we also connect with the element. Is this some roundabout manner of saying meditation?" Nik looked curious and crossed his legs. Aang had also said that a master is needed for bending practices due to its spiritual needs but Nik couldn't afford such leisures and there was nothing wrong with meditation in the first place.

Closing his eyes, Nik tried to concentrate. This went on for a few minutes until he opened them again, realizing that he didn't know what to concentrate on.

"I can finally try this in my personal space though," he mumbled under his breath as he gently swayed his hand, causing a short gust to escape his palms.

The first element he bent wasn't water but air. However, after learning the basics of waterbending, Nik realized that aside from the specialized moves he can learn from Aang, Nik could try and control the sudden airbending after his waterbending practice. It was as if his body now understood when to do things. The concept felt similar to how he wouldn't wet his pants the moment he feels the urge to piss— a better analogy may have worked but this was alright, too.

"Hrrr, why is it so cold out of a sudden?" Suki groaned, curling further under the sheets while Katara seemed more comfortable. Nik too realized the change in temperature and realized that it may have been his doing.

'I can be an air conditioner...' Nik realized. In his homeworld, he was fascinated by air conditioners more so than other devices. It was such a useful item, he felt at the time. A gratified smile touched Nik's lips when he heard a soft chuckle.

"Is sleeping beside me something to be so happy about?"

Nik looked to his side and found Suki already awake with a lazy smile on her face. Her eyes were barely open yet she had found the time to make smug remarks from the very beginning.

"It depends," Nik answered.

"Depends on what?" She questioned, propping her head on her hand as she rested her elbow on the mattress while still curling but snugly getting close to Nik.

"On what happens before or after you sleep next to me," he smiled and replied, "But over-all, I would say that I can see myself getting happy."

Suki pouted, still not able to form retorts of this nature, and found herself lacking in the area, "Why can't you be just nice to me just as you are with Katara?" She only mumbled but knew full well that Nik's ears had gotten sharper.

"What do you mean?"

His question caused Suki's eyes to widen. She had pretended to be sleeping while Katara vented in between their training session. It wasn't a deliberate act, of course. But by the time she woke up, Katara was already crying and she felt too awkward to reveal that she had woken up.

Now confronted for it due to her own damn mouth, Suki turned away. Further queries from Nik only elicited her to fake her snores and keep her eyes shut.

"Asleep already?" Nik hummed a bit loudly for Suki to hear. She then heard the sound of sheets shuffling as Nik returned into the sheets and grew closer to her. His chest brushed against her back and his legs curled in the same manner with his crotch and her butt now pressed slightly together.

Before Suki could speak, she heard Katara's groan, as she, too, stuck closer to Nik subconsciously, spooning him again.

'Either she's a lustful mastermind knowing full well what's going on...' Nik rolled his eyes internally, 'Or this is just my luck.'

He didn't pay Katara's act any attention, however. Instead, he let his heavy exhalations tickle Suki's ears, whispering, "You know, if you were awake, I would have pampered you so well. Just like the time when massaged you."

Hearing Nik mention the massage, Suki almost groaned from the memory of it. That was one of the most satisfying days of her life.

But her thoughts were interrupted as she felt Nik's hands grazing her arms, "And when have I not been nice to you, my trainer?"

"... you make a mockery of me," Suki finally replied softly. Instead of pointing out the miracle— that she was indeed awake, Nik decided to lower his hand and rest his palm on her slim waist.

"And when did I do that? I remember you beating me most of the time," he snickered.

"What about now?" Suki scoffed but laid still, enjoying the warm touch as Nik retorted, "Want me to stop?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Suki snorted, but despite the questionable words, her answer was clear.

Nik let his hand move from her waist to her abdomen. Blood seemed to be rushing into Suki's head as her face felt warm and her breathing rough... huskier. She could feel where Nik's hands intended to reach and her breasts couldn't help but heave.

"Let's practice," Nik whispered.

"Practice what?" she inquired, feeling a bit ridiculous at the notion of practice since there was nothing to be trained right now. However, if Nik knew her thoughts, he would shake his head in denial. There was a perfect training subject present already.

Suki.

It was about time that they switched their roles.