A little bit of brother/sister fluff from the Avatar universe :)
Man, I love this show... :D
Read on, my brave warriors!
"Hey, Katara?"
Katara turned round, a dress which she had just been folding in hand, "Morning, Sokka. You're up early." She pinned it to the washing line out back of their temporary home in Ba Sing Se. Someone had to do the washing whilst they were here, she'd reasoned, and it might as well be her. Suki assisted sometimes too. Besides, Aang and Zuko managed to get dirt in places she had never imagined you could get dirt.
"It's not that early," Sokka replied, looking at the sun which had only just risen above the horizon; Katara laughed.
"If you're up when I'm up, Sokka, it's early." She finished hanging the clothes on the line and turned, basket in hand, "So, what's up?" She began to walk back into the house, Sokka following.
"Nothing's up. Can't a guy get up really early to spend some time with his baby sister?"
Katara raised an eyebrow as she set the wicker basket down on the table, "Seriously, Sokka, what do you want?"
"I was wondering...are you doing anything today?"
She had bustled into the kitchen by now and stopped to lean on a counter, "Aang's taking me out...why?"
"Oh," Sokka said, disappointed, "Ok, then. Forget I asked."
"What is it?" she asked again, knowing her brother well enough that she could see he was upset by something.
"It's nothing, Katara, really."
"Sokka."
He sighed, "Well...I miss you, Katara. I miss my baby sister. It seems like we don't spend any time together anymore."
"We spend time," she said, realising after she said it how much time she hadn't been spending with her brother.
"No we don't, Katara. It's been ages since we just hung out together; you're always with Aang or Suki. Or Zuko. Or Toph. Or Appa. Or Momo! Or..."
"Ok, Sokka, I get your point." She turned, resting her palms on the edge of the counter and kicking her feet out a little, "You miss me?"
Sokka turned red, "Well...yeah, Katara. We used to spend all our time together when we were kids; building snowmen, penguin sledding...building my watchtowers..." He sighed, "I suppose I just miss that, sis. I'm your big brother, and I never see you. I don't even feel like I understand you anymore."
Katara tilted her head, "I didn't change in the last few days, Sokka."
"You know what I mean." He shuffled his feet, his gaze dropping to the floor, "Is it wrong of me to feel as if Aang's stolen you away from me?"
"Sokka," Katara said softly, touched by her brother's sudden sensitivity, "It's not wrong. But it's not true, either. No one could steal me away." She moved forward and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "I'll always be your little sister, and you'll always be my goofy big brother. Nothing will ever change that, no matter where we are or who we're with. I only have one brother, Sokka, and that's you." She lightly punched him in the arm, "No one else will ever get to be my brother, not even Aang."
He looked up at her then, smiling, "Thanks, Katara."
She smiled too, "And, if you really want to spend time with me more often, you could always start getting up early and help me hang out the washing in the mornings."
Sokka grinned, "No offense, sis, but I think I'll pass; this morning was just a one off."
She laughed, expecting nothing less, "Well, then, I'll be outside if you need me."
She turned to go, but her brother's hand on her arm stopped her, "Katara? Can I come out and sit with you? I've never seen a sunrise before..."
She smiled, "Sure, Sokka."
Aang and Suki found their respective partners an hour or so later, asleep against the front wall of the house, Katara's head on Sokka's shoulder and Sokka's head resting on top of hers. They had ideas not to wake them, but as soon as Toph earthbended a particularly offensive singing bird off the roof of the house, they both jolted awake to the sound of a frightened swallow-dove and an annoyed Toph.
"Oh, Aang," Katara stretched and yawned, lifting herself off the ground to smile at him, "Good morning."
"Morning," he let her kiss him then snaked an arm around her waist, turning to face Sokka who was close to falling asleep again, "What were you two doing out here this early in the morning?"
"Sokka was helping me hang out the washing, weren't you, Sokka?"
Sokka simply held his fist out, thumb pointing upwards, whilst Suki scoffed, "You? Washing? Waking up early?"
He narrowed his eyes at her, "You don't believe that I could?"
"Oh, no," Suki grinned, "I just never thought you would."
"Well, he did, and we had fun, didn't we, Sokka?"
Sokka opened his eyes properly then and smiled at his sister, "We sure did."