Finally Home Chapter 1, an avatar: last airbender fanfic

This is my submission for round one of the Pro Bending Circuit competition. I am the Airbender for the Capital City Catagators. The prompts I chose were:

AU No Bending

The postcard

And the song ('A Thousand Years' by Christina Perri).

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar

Suki

It's been five years since he joined the army; five long, lonely years. I supported him when he got the call to join up, and I told him that whatever he chose, I would back him up one-hundred percent. Then, when he was finished, we would settle down, and start our life together.

I wish he wouldn't have said yes.

We got married a month before he left, and everyone came for the wedding. It was happy at first; during the ceremony everyone seemed to be free and careless. Afterwards, however, was a different story. His sister came up to him before she left to go back home, and she hugged him for an extended period of time and cried for the duration of it, as if it was the last time she would ever see him. Even her husband looked like he had a tear in his eye as he embraced him (for a shorter time but it was still pretty long).

We promised each other the night before he left that he would come back. No doubts.

I'm starting to doubt now.

I've been having dreams at night about the future. Sometimes I'm in his arms, safe and sound as his hand is on my bulging stomach. Other times I cry at his grave, alone and sad forever.

The rain pounds against my windshield as I drive along the road in our little car; down our little street to our little house. I haven't heard from him in a while. I got a postcard a couple of months ago with his picture on the front; he looked as happy as he was on our wedding day, but I know better. I sigh and turn up the radio, hoping for a distraction.

"And here's an old favorite! We've gotten quite a few requests for this song! Enjoy!"

Heart beats fast

Colors and promises

How to be brave

How can I love when I'm afraid

To fall

But watching you stand alone

All of my doubt

Suddenly goes away somehow

Tears start falling down my face as our song plays. This song was playing when he proposed to me; it was the one that had played during our first dance as husband and wife. This song is my life and it reminds me of him. So I sing along.

One step closer

I have died every day

Waiting for you

Darlin' don't be afraid

I have loved you for a

Thousand years

I'll love you for a

Thousand more

I smile at the memories: his smile, his laugh, and his horrible jokes. Everything that made him who he is, which is everything that I love about him, and it hurts to remember, yet I can't help but become lost in all the precious memories that seem so far away.

I wonder where he is right now; I wonder what he is doing, how he's doing, and if he's still alive.

Time stands still

Beauty in all she is

I will be brave

I will not let anything

Take away

What's standing in front of me?

Every breath,

Every hour has come to this

The song continues as I turn off the car. The sun's rays peek out from the clouds, the rain seemingly gone. I grab my purse and grocery bag and I proceed to walk to the front door of our house, which is open.

One step closer

I continue walking cautiously, ever so slowly into our house. Everything else looks normal; the windows are shut, and none of the flowers are out of place. Only the door is open. I step into the house and stop in the entryway and look around. Our pictures still cover the little table, and our shoes still litter the floor underneath. I look into our small living room; my laptop, the TV and his electronics are exactly where I left them.

I hear the radio playing in the kitchen and someone walking around. I run into the kitchen and I stop short when I see him.

"Sokka." I say. I drop everything I'm holding and run into his warm embrace. We stay like that for what feels like forever, but even that is not nearly long enough.

"Hey," he said. "Surprise."

We pull away for a minute so I can look at him. He's still wearing his army uniform; it looks like he only just got here. I look around, and sure enough, his bags are sitting in the corner, but everything that he took with him when he left is there; both of his duffle bags and his supply bag. I look at him with a puzzling look.

"I was discharged last week. I'm not going anywhere," he said, responding to the question I was about to ask. He started swaying me back and forth; we danced to our song together after way too long.

"I'm sorry," he says, his face becoming downcast instantaneously. I pull away from him and look at him.

"For what?" I ask, bewildered.

"For leaving you all alone; I've heard how shut off you've been since I left. I never wanted you to be lonely," he replied, looking straight into my eyes.

"I've just been preoccupied. You're here now and that's all I care about right now." I am smiling as the words leave my lips.

"I love you, Suki," he says just before he kisses me. I kiss back and he pulls away after a minute. "Do you have any food? I'm starving."

I roll my eyes and kiss him again. He's still the same.