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Chapter Text

The sand under Su’s hand followed her motions as she pulled upward until a small mount sat in front of her. Su smiled but it quickly dissolved into a frown as she tried to flatten the top and the mound sunk completely back into the ground.

Su had been using her family’s vacation to the Ember Island to practice her sand bending but even four days in she was still finding it difficult. Moving it was easy but sand wasn’t like normal earth and crumbled far too easy for the delicacy Su desired. It was frustrating.

She tried to pull the sand back up into a mount but instead of flattening it, she slashed across it. The whole thing went flying sideways and Su kicked the sand.

"I'm almost ashamed of him."

Su looked up from her failed sandcastle before turning to see who spoke.

Kya, Tenzin and her sister were standing ankle deep in the rolling waves of water below.

It was Kya who had spoken. She rolled her eyes before wringing out her hair.

"Who?" Tenzin asked, looking up past where Su sat towards the back deck of Uncle Zuko's vacation house. "Bumi?"

Su glanced up at the deck herself to see Bumi and Izumi sat on a hammock together. Bumi was gesturing wildly while Izumi watched him with a soft smile on her face.

"Yes, Bumi," Kya replied. "All I'm saying is that if I had Izumi's undivided attention I would have made a move long before now. Trust me Ten, they've been crushing on each other longer than you've been alive. It's embarrassing at this point."

Su turned back to her sandcastle lump as the three teens approached her.

Tenzin shrugged. "Sounds like they're both just oblivious," he said.

"Sounds like it runs in the family," Lin muttered, low enough that only Su heard her as she passed. At least that's what Su had assumed.

"What was that Lin?" Kya asked. Su peaked up at them to see a small smirk cross Kya's lips but it disappeared as soon as Lin turned her way.

Lin shrugged but Su could see her sister's mind rushing for an answer. Su decided to be nice and rescue her.

"She said it sounds like someone needs to help them," Su replied, as she stood and dusted the sand from her legs. "I think it could be fun! Let's do it!"

Lin looked at her with a mix of gratitude and irritation.

"Don't spy on people’s conversations," Lin said, frowning down at her. Su could tell her sister wanted to say more but held her tongue.

“Don’t have loud conversations,” Su said, shrugging in reply. Her sister could really only expect so much from her.

"No," Kya said, amused at the escalating situation, "let the kid speak. You might have been onto something there Lin."

Tenzin looked between the three females like they were a tigerdillo someone told him to pet.

Su could tell her sister wanted to object but without telling them what she really said it would look suspicious.

Su used that to her advantage as an idea formed in her mind.

"Well," Su said, "what if we trick them into admitting their feelings?"

"Isn't that kind of underhanded?" Tenzin asked.

"No," Su replied. "Underhanded would be walking up and telling them directly without permission. This would just be setting them up to do it themselves."

Kya shook her head. "Not going to work, kiddo," Kya said. "Sorry but they've had plenty of setups for things like this naturally and yet we're still here."

"Trust me," Su said, putting her hands together and looking at the three teens pleadingly. "I promise this will work."

"Su, drop it," Lin growled.

Su nearly did, seeing that Lin was so against it and Tenzin seemed afraid of the idea, but Kya looked contemplative and Su knew if she said yes the other two would agree as well.

"What's this plan involve?" Kya asked.

Su beamed up at her. "I'm going to need a picnic basket stocked for two, a boat big enough for five, and a closet we can lock from the outside," Su said.

Tenzin looked even more alarmed as he looked back at Kya and shook his head.

"What's the closet for?" Kya asked, suspicious.

Su hummed. "Backup plan," she lied. Her gaze drifted over towards her sister.

Lin stood with her arms crossed waiting for Kya to declare the idea stupid.

"If it goes wrong we can always claim it was a prank," Su suggested, seeing Kya's hesitancy.

"That's true," Kya replied before nodding. "Okay, I'm in."

"What?" Tenzin and Lin demanded. They glanced at each other and blushed furiously.

"Look," Kya said, pointing up at the hammock where Izumi was now playing with Bumi's hair as the two talked softly. "I'm not waiting until those two are on their deathbeds to confess. Like Su said, what could it hurt? She's eight , I highly doubt this is going to be some overly sophisticated scheme. If anything, it will make this vacation more interesting whether it works or not."

Tenzin took one glance at Bumi before nodding. "If it gets Bumi to stop his weird pinning behavior whenever we leave the Fire Nation, I'm in," he said.

Lin grunted but nodded along even as she glared at Su. Su knew her sister didn’t trust her plan and she was more than right to feel that way.

Su smiled up at her sister before rushing up to the house and asking Aunt Katara if she could make a picnic basket for two.

---

"Okay," Lin said, crossing her arms as Su approached with the picnic basket, "Kya got the boat and Tenzin and I turned the doorknob to the pantry around."

Su frowned slightly and glanced up at Kya. She had just remembered an oversight to her plan and needed a quick fix without alerting the others.

"I'm also going to need a broomstick," Su said, gesturing towards the closet. "Can you two get me one?"

She handed the basket to Kya so she couldn't help and hoped for once her sister wouldn't ask questions.

Tenzin shrugged and opened the closet door.

"What's the broom for?" Lin asked as Tenzin dug through the pantry.

Su placed her hand on her sister's shoulder. "I'll tell you when I have one," Su replied.

"Here," Tenzin called, holding the broom out to Su.

"Perfect," Su said, before pushing on Lin's shoulder.

Su was hoping surprise would prevent Lin from catching herself and lucky for her it did.

Lin went stumbling into Tenzin and the two fell back into the closet. Su slammed the door and jammed the broom under it. Hopefully that would keep the door shut as the lock could be easily picked by her sister’s metalbending.

"Suyin!" Lin shouted. "Open this door right now!"

"Sorry," Su called. "I've got a picnic to plan! I'll be back later but I'm sure you two can find something to talk about in the meantime!"

Su turned away from the pantry to see Kya standing stunned across the hall from her.

"You're an evil little eight year old," Kya whispered.

"Well Lin said obliviousness runs in the family," Su said, shrugging. "Bumi doesn’t know Izumi likes him, Tenzin doesn’t know Lin likes him and you didn't know I was plotting more than I said I was."

Kya looked down at the picnic basket. "I'm almost scared to ask what the rest of the plan is," Kya said, "but I'm already an accomplice so what's next?"

"Next is that you go tell Izumi that your mom packed a picnic for all of us and that we're sailing down to that cove we go sea glass hunting near. Then you wait hidden by the boat," Su explained, taking the picnic basket and leading Kya away from Lin and Tenzin's shouting.

Kya glanced back. "Won't that alert someone?" Kya asked, pointing at the pantry.

"Who?" Su asked. "Aunt Katara and Aunt Suki were the only ones here and went into town as soon as the basket was packed. Who knows when someone other than us will return to the house."

"Evil," Kya muttered.

Su ignored her. "Anyway," Su said, focusing back on the plan, "I'll take this basket to Bumi and tell him the same, then lead the two down to the boat. As soon as the two get on the boat, I'll untie it and you push it out to sea with waterbending. Bumi will be forced to man the sails when they get too far from shore and with a picnic only packed for two they'll realize they're on a date. If they don't confess then, the two of them really are hopeless."

"Okay," Kya said, nodding, "that's slightly less evil than what you did to Lin and Tenzin."

"It's calculated," Su said. "Bumi's obliviousness plus Izumi's shyness isn't as severe an issue as Tenzin's obliviousness plus Lin's stubbornness."

Kya stared down at her for a moment before shrugging. "That's actually pretty fair," Kya said.

The two split up at the back deck to set part two of Su's plan in motion.

Chapter Text

Lin slammed her fist against the door as she felt Su and Kya walking away. Su's steps were confident while Kya's were nervous and hesitant.

It wasn't enough to get her to return though and Lin would remember that next time she saw her supposed friend.

"What just happened?" Tenzin asked. The shock of the situation echoed in his voice and when Lin turned to him he looked confused.

"My sister is a brat, that's what happened," Lin replied.

"But why lock us in a closet?" Tenzin asked, looking around the room as if Uncle Zuko would have a trap door in his pantry. "We can't help them when we're in here."

Lin wanted to scream though whether it was at her sister from trapping her with Tenzin for an unknown amount of time or at Tenzin for still being so slow on the uptake.

"Gee," Lin muttered, low enough Tenzin couldn't hear, "I wonder why my sister who's about to matchmake your brother could have possibly locked us in a closet together."

Tenzin looked at her with his brow furrowed. "What was that?," he asked.

Lin sighed and sat down on the crate behind her.

"It doesn't matter," Lin said. "I guess we just wait until Su gets bored or our parents get home."

Tenzin didn't seem to like that answer anymore then Lin did but he gracefully lowered himself to the ground opposite her anyway.

Lin crossed her arms and leaned back against the shelf as Tenzin folded himself into a meditation pose and closed his eyes.

They stayed like that for a while though Lin gave up trying to count the time. Her internal clock wasn't the best.

Finally Tenzin's eyes opened and a small frown pulled at his lips. Lin could see an idea swirling in his eyes.

That was the thing about Tenzin, he wasn't like Kya who could read people at a glance or even Bumi who could talk to anyone long enough to learn their plays. Instead, Tenzin was almost earth-like in his thinking. He took his time and rarely rushed which usually meant his plans were solid and his arguments often airtight.

When he wasn't angry anyway, when that happened Tenzin's brain might as well not be there for all he doesn't use it.

"What?" Lin snapped, as Tenzin's gaze remained locked on her.

"This wasn't a trap for Bumi and Izumi," Tenzin said and Lin nearly rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, it was a trap for us," Lin said. "Kind of stating the obvious there, Ten."

Tenzin huffed. "If it's not a trap to get my brother and Izumi to talk then it was a trap to get us to talk," Tenzin said. "So what does Su know that we don't?"

"Why are you asking me?" Lin asked nervously. That was the problem with Tenzin, he could be the most oblivious person on the planet but once he did start catching on he caught up quick.

"She's your sister," Tenzin pointed out, "and I don't have anything major to talk to you about."

Lin froze at the way his voice vibrated not only through the air but through the ground. They shook with lack of confidence and his heart beat pounded.

"That's a lie," Lin said, curious as Tenzin rarely ever lied. Lin could probably count the times on one hand.

Tenzin fell silent again as he realized he had backed himself into a corner. Whatever he had to say he was scared to say it.

Lin, though she hated to admit it, was scared too. Tenzin was her best friend and at times he felt like the only one who noticed and listened to her.

He knew how much she resented her sister at times and how she often felt overlooked by her mother and even how much she wished to know her father. It was a hopeless thought as the man hadn't even stuck around for Lin to be born but Tenzin had never called her on it.

Instead he had comforted her, a task that never came easy to him and made it all the more sweet when he did it.

Lin bit her lip harshly as Tenzin seemed to further shrink into himself.

She had no clue what he really wanted to say and maybe she was crazy for hoping it would be similar to her own confession but if there was ever a time it was now. Her stupid sister had made sure of that and Lin would get her for it.

"Bumi isn't the only obtuse member of your family," Lin said, breaking the silence.

Tenzin slowly peaked up at her.

"Don't get weird about it," Lin snapped, "but maybe I like you more than the rest of our friends. A lot more."

Tenzin's strained expression fell from his face as a small grin stretched across his lips.

"Oh," Tenzin said, glancing away as a blush rose in his cheeks. "I like you more than the rest too."

Lin's heart started racing but neither of them knew what to say now. Lin's words were trapped in her throat.

There was a long pause where Tenzin kept starting and stopping his next sentence before finally spitting it out.

"Would you go with me to that beach festival tomorrow?" Tenzin asked.

Lin laughed but felt bad as Tenzin's face fell.

"Tenzin, we're already going together," she said, smiling as Tenzin's blush darkened.

"Oh, right," he replied, sheepishly pulling his shoulders up as he rubbed the back of his head. "That's, uh, that's true."

Lin rolled her eyes. "We can sneak off from the others for a bit just the two of us," Lin promised. She was giddy at the idea, an emotion she rarely ever felt and only in Tenzin's company.

"Sounds great," Tenzin said, smiling brightly.

Lin nodded before doing something else uncharacteristic of her but she knew if she didn't Tenzin would take forever with it.

She leaned forward and paused right before she got into Tenzin's personal space. "Can I kiss you?" she asked.

Tenzin choked on nothing but nodded.

Lin kissed him softly and couldn't fight the smile that broke them apart if she tried. It wasn't much being a first kiss but she didn't think she would ever forget it.

Tenzin's whole face was red when she pulled back.

That was when Lin heard the scraping of something outside the door.

Her and Tenzin both turned to look as voices could be heard through the door.

"Who locked the pantry with a broom?" Aunt Katara asked.

"I'm sensing the start of a prank war," Uncle Sokka replied.

"Oh!" Uncle Aang said. "I love prank wars! I'm on Zuko's team."

"I'm not a team!" Uncle Zuko shouted but his voice was muffled as if he was yelling from a greater distance than the others.

"I'll be on your team, TwinkleToes," Lin's mother said.

"You don't think anyone was locked in do you?" Aunt Suki asked.

The door was quickly snatched open to reveal Lin and Tenzin sitting practically on top of each other.

Tenzin stuttered for a moment. "Hi, mom," he finally spit out.

"Finally," Lin said, pushing away from Tenzin and rushing past the adults. "Suyin I'm gonna kill you!"

"Something you two want to tell us?" Aunt Katara asked as Lin rushed away.

She felt slightly guilty at leaving Tenzin to handle the aftermath alone, particularly as her own mother joined in on the teasing but her sister had to pay and right now Lin had the element of surprise.

She found Su and Kya eating popsicles on the back deck and tackled her sister into the sand.

Su screamed before realizing who had her and then her fighting increased. Apparently she thought Lin was more dangerous than a random kidnapping.

Su could be a smart kid when she wanted to be.

"Help!" Su called but Kya's self-preservation skills kicked in and she took off.

"No one to help you now," Lin said, pinning her sister on her back. "I can't believe you did that! You had no right!"

Su squirmed until she got the leverage to flip them. It didn't work as well as it would if they were the same size but she managed to slip away regardless.

"Is this the thanks I get for helping you?" Su asked, dusting the sand from her skin.

Lin growled but found herself nearly falling over as her feet sunk into the sand.

"I believe that's enough," their mother called.

Lin cursed. Kya hadn't been running away. She'd been running for backup. Lin would get her next.

"Now, tell each other you're sorry and clean up for dinner," she continued.

"Do any of you know where my daughter is?" Aunt Mai asked.

Lin smirked over at Su. "Ask my sister," she replied, knowing Aunt Mai was extremely protective of her only daughter.

"That's an interesting story," Su said, glancing back at the ocean.

"One you'll be telling us over dinner," their mother said. "Then I'll decide what to do with you two."

"What?" Lin shouted. "I didn't do anything!"

Her feet were released from the sand, as were her sister's.

"Nope, dinner then we'll talk," their mother said.

"What about Izumi, is she just supposed to starve wherever she is?" Aunt Mai demanded.

"Oh don't worry," Su said, smirking. "She's got food."

The adults, which now also included Uncle Zuko and Aunt Katara, traded concerned glances as Su rushed into the house behind them.

"Don't look at me," Lin said, when their gazes turned to her, "it was Su's plan."

Chapter Text

Izumi was sitting next to the garden fountain with a book when Kya came up to her. She had known it was only a matter of time before she was interrupted but she had been expecting it to be Bumi.

Not that she didn't want to see Kya, the younger waterbender was her best friend, but Izumi was bored and knew Bumi would have something exciting to do. Kya likely only wanted to talk.

"Hey, Izumi," Kya called, "mom just went into town but before she left she packed a picnic basket. We all decided we'd go down to the cove with it. I've got to go find Su but we're meeting at the dock in a few minutes."

"Oh," Izumi replied. She was surprised at the offer as rarely these days did all five of them hangout together. "That actually sounds fun. I'll head that way now. Is there anything I need to bring?"

Kya shook her head before quickly running off. Izumi watched her go with a frown but figured Kya was simply in a rush to find the others.

She reached the dock before any one else did and decided to settle down in the sailboat to read while she waited.

The book wasn't what she would call fascinating but Grandpa Iroh had given it to her and she knew he'd wish to discuss it when he next saw her.

It wasn't long before she heard voices coming over the dunes.

"It'll be fun," Su could be heard saying.

Bumi didn't sound enthused when he hummed in reply but Izumi could tell he was only teasing Su and giving her a hard time. Izumi had been on the wrong side of that playful doubt to recognize it now, even from a distance.

Izumi looked up as Suyin and Bumi crested the sand dune next to the dock. Kya, Lin and Tenzin were still nowhere to be seen.

Izumi put up her book again and smiled at her boyfriend. She and Bumi had been dating in secret for half a year now and he still never failed to make her heart flutter with his arrival.

Bumi grinned brightly back.

"Well, hello there pretty lady," he said, "were you waiting on me?"

Izumi saw Su shake her head behind Bumi and nearly laughed. One day Su wouldn't think it so gross.

"Waiting on everyone," Izumi replied. "All of your siblings are missing."

Su shrugged before handing the picnic basket to Bumi. "Can you put this on the boat? I'll be right back," Su said before racing back the way she came.

Bumi raised his eyebrow at Izumi and she laughed.

"You know," Izumi said, as Bumi joined her on the boat, "I don't recall the life of an eight year old being so fast paced."

Bumi laughed to himself.

"Oh I can recall somethings," he said before turning back to the dock.

It was several feet further than it should be.

"Did you untie the boat?" Bumi asked.

Izumi shook her head. "I guess Su did it by accident?" Izumi suggested.

"Maybe," Bumi replied before taking an oar and trying to get the boat back to the dock.

He frowned deeply.

"I think we've been had," Bumi said, staring down at the water.

"What do you mean?" Izumi asked.

"This boat isn't drifting from the dock," Bumi replied, pointing at where the water currents were moving in the wrong direction. "Even if the boat had come untethered we would float to shore not away from it. Kya's waterbending it."

"What for?" Izumi asked. It wasn't that she was surprised their friends pranked them but as far as their usual prank wars went this was extremely tame.

"No clue," Bumi replied but he was staring at the picnic basket awfully hard.

"Be careful," Izumi said when Bumi moved towards the basket.

"Scared for me princess?" Bumi asked. He smiled up at her cheekily.

"Hardly," Izumi replied, turning her head away from him. The ends of it nearly hit his face and Bumi chuckled to himself.

He cautiously opened the basket but nothing happened.

"I don't get the prank," Bumi said, scratching his head. "They tricked us onto a boat, gave us a picnic basket set for two and then pushed us out to sea. What was even the goal?"

Izumi shrugged before glancing over Bumi's shoulder at the fully stocked picnic basket. It was very clearly not packed for six people.

"Well, I guess we just make the best of it," Izumi said, reaching up to cup Bumi's cheek. They were well out of distance from the beach and the boat had stopped moving of its own accord once they were about half a mile out.

Bumi hummed as he turned his head towards her. Izumi's heart raced as his eyes met hers. Sometimes Bumi looked at her as if she hung the stars in the sky, it was both a flattering and intimidating idea to live up to.

"I like the way you think princess," Bumi said. He placed his hand over hers before leaning up to meet her in a kiss.

Izumi smiled into it before sitting next to him. She pressed tightly to his side as he pulled out their meal and set it on the second seating bench.

"I guess they were trying to tell us something," Bumi said as he pulled two candles from the basket. The sun was going down so Bumi lit them with some matches also in the basket.

When it was all set up he sat back and wrapped his arm around her back.

"I do believe this is the most accidental date we've been on," Bumi joked.

Izumi shook her head as she took in the reds, purples and blues of the sky. The candles and setting sun washed the couple in a soft light and the food made her stomach growl.

"We only had the one other and getting caught on a mountain during a thunderstorm isn't exactly hard to beat," Izumi said. She reached forward to pick up a strawberry and brought it to Bumi's lips.

He raised a brow at her sharing her favorite fruit with him but easily bit into it.

It was the only strawberry she was letting him have, something that had Bumi full belly laughing when he realized it.

Bumi's lips pressed against her cheek. "I love you," he whispered, shyly into her ear.

Izumi paused with a strawberry in hand as she turned to him. It was the first time either of them said it and from the fluttering in her stomach she knew she felt the same.

"I love you too," Izumi whispered back.

"So I can have another strawberry?" Bumi asked, smirking at her.

Izumi looked down at the strawberry in her hand. It was the last one and she did love Bumi.

"No," she replied, biting into the strawberry.

Bumi's shocked and thrilled laughter rang across the water.

"Never change, Zumi," he said, pulling her in close as they looked through the rest of the food given to them.

---

They got back to the house around the time their families were packing up from dinner.

Su was extremely pleased to see them while Kya and Tenzin watched them closely. Lin was pouting next to Tenzin.

"Did you enjoy your date?" Su teased.

Izumi's heartbeat picked up. "Date?" She asked, slightly panicked as she glanced at her parents. Both seemed more curious than worried so their friends must have told them where she was.

It's not that Izumi didn't want to tell her family but they could be a bit intense about things. She had wanted to keep Bumi to herself.

"Is that what that prank was?" Bumi asked. Izumi could tell he was confused because that still didn't sound like much of a prank. "Haha, we tricked you two onto a date?"

"It wasn't a prank!" Su shouted, exasperated. "Are you two serious? Lin and Tenzin managed to get over their thick heads and you two still don't get it."

"Get what?" Izumi asked. She wasn't exactly thrilled to be called slow by an eight year old.

"You two like each other," Su yelled. "I set you up on a date to get you to admit you like each other!"

"Well, duh," Bumi said, causing everyone at the table to turn towards him. He smirked. "She's my girlfriend."

Bumi grabbed her hand before pulling her from the room when it exploded into chaos.

As they left Izumi caught a few reactions before she couldn't see or hear anymore.

Su was sputtering in the background behind them as Izumi's dad stood only to be pushed back into his seat by her mom.

Kya stared at them open mouthed as Lin burst out laughing.

Everyone disappeared behind the doorway but Izumi could still hear them.

"Looks like your services weren't even needed," Lin said.

"Says you," Su replied. "You and Tenzin are dating because of me and well, now at least everyone knows Bumi and Izumi are dating."

"That wasn't your intention," Lin objected.

Su huffed and Izumi could barely hear her as Bumi pulled her around the corner towards her bedroom.

"What would you know?" Su demanded. "I'm telling you, it was all part of the plan, more or less anyway."