The Boys Back Home
Sokka is different from the boys that Suki knows back home, and in more ways than one. Suki does not know when she realized this, only that she has. And only that it is true.
When she thinks of the ways that Sokka is different, she always starts with....with...well, this one guy that she knew back on Kyoshi. His name was Kyo of Kuro or something. Well, it started with K. Kichiro? Kento? Kyo...yeah, it sounded like Kyo...Kyoshi, that was it! Poor kid, named after a woman. It almost makes her feel sorry for him. "Kyo" would've been better, and it's a far more common practice (sort of naming your son after a woman), than saying "Screw it" and actually naming your son after a woman. But, yeah, anyway. So, Kyoshi. Well, she hated him. A lot. He was an arrogant, sexist pig, which was a difficult attitude to maintain, growing up in a village where the only reason he was alive was because of the girls and women that had fought for Kyoshi (the island, not the boy) over the years. It was probably because he was feeling sore about getting named after a girl, now that she thinks of it.
Suki knows a lot of Kyoshi's; that is, she knows a lot of sexist pigs. Most of them are outsiders that come to visit their island. At first, they can't believe that girls are actually allowed to fight, and are damn goodat it, too. That's always when Suki's blood begins to boil. Sokka made her blood boil, too, when she heard him utter those first words of skepticism.
At first, he was no different than the others. But Sokka was different; he is different. Sokka changed. Sokka relinquished that stubborn male pride that sexist pigs cling to like a lifeline, and he learned to fight, from her. From a girl.
That's the second way that Sokka's different from the boys that Suki knows back home: she taught him how to fight, and he listened. Sure, she's been forced to instruct a few other guys, mostly outsiders that were forced to come to Kyoshi by their parents from some tiny, nearby island. They're alwayssexist, and the lessons she gives are painful for both student and teacher. But Sokka's the only one who actually learned anything from her; that is, he's the only one who let himself learn anything.
Sokka is also different because he wants to protect her. The decent boys that grew up on the island and do respect her don't even think of it. Not even the few boys that she's dated have ever tried to protect her, the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. Usually, it's the other way around.
Boys back home know that Suki can take care of herself. Sokka, though...Sokka knows she can take care of herself, but he wants to protect her anyway. It's goddamn annoying, especially because Suki's still not entirely sure that she'sthe reason Sokka wants to protect her, and not some...some...and not someone else.
There is a final way that Sokka is different from the guys that Suki knows back home. She does not say it out loud, and she does not even acknowledge it when she lists the ways that Sokka is different. But Suki would die for is in love with loves Sokka, and what makes Sokka truly different is the fact that Sokka would die for is in love with loves her back.
To horrified Tokkaneers reading this: I STILL SHIP TOKKA. I did this because I wanted to challenge myself to write outside my normal guildelines; which is to say, Tokka. Yeah, I know I don't ship Sukka. But...it can be epic. Kinda. Suki's cool, anyway. And I already wrote this, so nobody strange me, please?
To the Sukka shippers reading this: I hope you enjoyed it! :D It...well, it wasn't FUN to write, but it was interesting. Just don't expect any more Sukka from me in the immediate future, lol.