I'll Sleep When I Die

The room was silent with anticipation. Even Zuko and Mai stopped their conversation to watch. The ping pong ball left Sokka's hand in a gentle arc, nearly hitting the ceiling before landing in his opponents' last cup with a tiny splash.

Aang and Katara's faces fell as Toph fist pumped to their victory. "Hell yeah!" She shouted, punching her boyfriend in the arm. "Way to shoot Snoozles!"

With a weary face usually reserved for tired veterans, Aang looked down at his cup. "I can't believe we just lost Beirut to a blind girl. I think we've reached an all time low."

Katara gripped the table, trying to steady herself against her body's overwhelming urge to wobble. "I can't believe we let them talk us into using vodka."

Her brother flexed his bicep and then stuck his tongue. "You know what they say, if you can't take the heat stay out of the kitchen."

Aang gave him the middle finger as he downed the last drink. There was enough alcohol in his system to justify a little brashness.

Sokka looked over to the couch. "Hey Zuko! These two are almost as boring as you are!"

The scarred teen raised an eyebrow at his friend. "What?"

"Come on!" Sokka urged, "I challenge you! Me and my girl versus you and yours."

Zuko glanced at Mai as all eyes turned toward her. Though their relationship was hardly new, her place within their group was less well defined. Sokka was funny. Toph was tough. Katara cared. Aang listened. Zuko brooded, and Mai was… bored.

Though she'd always had friends, Mai was content to sit on the sidelines. She was quiet, reserved and if you didn't know her, a bit intimidating.

By offering her the chance to play, Sokka was inviting her to join in the fun. His own desire to play aside, Zuko was intrigued. This was new for them.

Mai met his gaze and sighed. Lifting her beer to her black colored lips, she finished the drink and stood up. "Alright," She said, not breaking her usual deadpan, "Let's do this."

Sokka began to crack his knuckles as an evil grin spread over his face. "Set up the cups Toph, we've got fresh blood for the table!"

Toph smiled sweetly. "Umm Sokka?"

"Yes?"

She waved a hand in front of her face. "Blind."

"Right." He said, before going about the task himself.

Zuko and Mai walked to their end of the table as Katara and Aang replaced them on the couch, eager to stop the room from spinning.

"Mai," Zuko asked, "Have you ever played this before?"

"Meh," She responded, "I've seen it played. It doesn't look too complicated."

"If Sokka's any good at it, you know that's true." Katara chimed in.

Aang gripped his head, sweat appearing at his temples. "Too much talking." He groaned and moved his hands to his rioting stomach.

Katara kissed the top of his head. "If you had hair, I'd hold it back for you."

"I know you would." Aang said through a pained smile, "Thanks."

"Alright!" Sokka cheered, the two triangles of cups set up on either end of the table. "Let's get this game going!" He picked up his ping pong ball and rolled it across to Mai. "Ladies first!"

Mai picked the ball up and held it between her thumb and forefinger. She eyed it for a moment before throwing it forward with great speed.

Ploop!

Sokka's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Nice shot." He said, picking up the cup and guzzling it contents. "Go for it Zuko."

* * *

At the end of several turns it had become apparent which way the game was going.

"You're fucking kidding me!" Sokka shouted, their 2nd to last cup raised to his lips. He gulped the vodka down and spoke again, his speech slurring. "This is like a fucking blitzkrieg!"

Zuko smirked as he surveyed his own, still completely full side of cups. "Are you calling us Nazis because we're beating you at beer pong?"

Toph, sat on the floor, the weight of their partying making it impossible to lift her head from its resting spot against the wall. "I have never felt so Polish in my life."

Sokka glared at Mai, "I thought you said you'd never played this before."

Mai gave him a look. "I haven't."

Sokka shook his head. "So much wasted talent." He sighed.

At that moment, Zuko threw his ball and got the last cup. Sokka gaped in astonishment and attempted his own, desperate last shot. It bounced off the cups with a disappointing "tink".

"Toph!" Sokka shouted, "Quick you have to make this shot or it's over!"

"Let me put it this way," Toph slurred as she attempted to rise from the floor. She stumbled forward, toward Sokka. "Right now, I'm really, _really_ blind."

"But- but-" He managed before Toph's lips caught his mouth. The kiss was sloppy and passionate and tasted exactly like vodka.

"No more talking." Toph said huskily, pressing herself against Sokka both enticingly and to keep from falling. Her fingers dragged over her boyfriend's chest teasingly.

"Concede our victory and find privacy?" Zuko asked, amused.

"Deal." Sokka said, lifting Toph up in his arms. She giggled as the two of them ran out of the room.

Zuko looked over at the other couple in the room, Aang and Katara having passed out on the couch, both snoring softly, sharing their coats as blankets.

"Like a pair of drunken angels…" Mai said dryly, pulling on her jacket as they prepared to leave.

They walked out of the garage door and into the chilly night, the moon illuminating the empty suburban street. For a moment they walked in silence.

"So did you have fun?" Zuko asked, his breath hanging in the air in front of him.

"What do you mean?"

"Tonight. I mean, I know this isn't really you're thing, but you were great back there. Wasn't the game at least fun?"

Mai glared slightly. "I threw a progressively dirtier ping pong ball into a series of cups as an excuse for your friends to drink. I can't think of anything more boring than that."

Zuko frowned and grew quiet. For awhile all that could be heard was the crunching of gravel beneath their feet. As they approached Zuko's house Mai spoke again.

"Watching Toph and Sokka freak out on the other hand…"

Zuko laughed as he pulled her into a hug. "I wonder if it's the sadism I'm attracted to."

Mai smiled, her face pressed against his chest. "I suppose your sister and I must have something in common."

Suddenly Zuko pulled away, instead holding her at an arm's length. His eyes narrowed in disgust. "Creepy…"

She grinned, showing her teeth for the first time. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. "Forget I ever mentioned it."

"10 steps ahead of you."

_[END]_

* * *

**A/N- I have ideas for fanfics pretty regularly, and I'm thinking a collection of oneshots would be the best way to put them together. I'm a little dissapointed with the alternate universe I established in One Day At A Time, so I'm thinking this carries on the same spirit, just in a less stupid way.**

**Please review, and I'm open to suggestions if you have any.**

**-Jabberwocker  
**


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