A.N.: Here's the next part! (: I just realized that I forgot all about Apa after watching the series again. But, in watching the series, I fell in love with Sokka all over again. Warning: intimate scenes ahead, and not sure how far they will go as of yet, so beware. Enjoy!
By the time the sun had set, or when they assumed the sun had set (having no source of light in the cavern), everyone had hunkered down. Nearly everyone was asleep. Everyone, except Sokka. He lay between Katara and Nirvana, arms behind his head. The fire was dying, only embers left by now, and was casting a soft orange glow on everything.
A sigh leaked from his lips as he scratched his head. He felt that his hair had begun to grow in. He hadn't realized in the past few months. He ran his fingertips over the sides, finding it strange that they weren't stubble anymore. Sokka turned onto his side, so that he lay face to face with Nirvana.
With the orange glow flickering on her face, her beauty stole the breath from Sokka's lungs. He smiled slowly, drinking in the sight of her. She stirred the slightest bit, a loose strand of onyx falling across her face. Sokka reached tentatively to tuck it back, his fingertips grazing her the creamy skin of her cheek. Another sigh reached his lips as he placed his palm, feather-light, across the side of her face. He watched as she smiled slowly, placing her hand atop his. She opened her eyes, long lashes fluttering across the tops of her cheekbones as she blinked.
Nirvana hadn't really been asleep. She could feel Sokka's eyes boring into her. It was only when he dared to touch her that she had decided to 'wake up'.
She turned into his palm, pressing her lips to its centre, her eyes still fastened to his. She took his hand, wrapping it around her shoulder. She wriggled closer to him, tucking her head beneath his chin. She felt his arms tighten around her body, and a contentment washed over her mind.
She must have fallen asleep at some point. When she woke, though, she felt as though she were still in a dream. The world was hazy and her movements felt sluggish. She sat up, eyes drawn to a strange blue glow near the back of the cave. It tugged on her, pulling her towards it. She pulled her body upright, feeling heavy. She wobbled in place for a moment, then began walking towards the light.
She followed it through the twisting path of the cavern, keeping her eyes glued to its centre. The brightest part appeared to take on the form of a young man as it lead Nirvana to the back of the cave. She stood just inside a small stone room. In the midmost part of the room, was a huge dip in the floor, filled with water. The tiny waves lapping against their confines also had the eerie azure luminosity.
The glowing figure became immobile, facing the girl on the other side of the lustrous pool. It reached a hand out to her, beckoning her forward. Without hesitation, she began moving towards it once again. She lifted a bare foot over the water, just about to step into its radiance, when a voice thrust her back into reality.
"What are you doing?"
Sokka awoke when Nirvana stood. He tumbled away from her, still partially asleep.
"Where are you going?" he grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eye with the back of his hand. When she did not respond, he automatically opened both eyes and became fully aware of his surroundings. He called out to her, quietly, as to not wake Aang and Katara. He stood as he spotted Nirvana turning around a corner. An odd blue blaze lighting the corridor set Sokka's alerts on high. He trailed her carefully, footfalls almost silent. He watched her, noticed her walk was off. She moved slowly and deliberately, like a stick insect. As though she was walking in a trance.
He stayed about three feet back, out of the sapphire glow. The hair on the back of his neck and arms raised as a cold tingle crept up his spine. He stood in the large doorway, watching as the illuminated figure and Nirvana faced each other across a giant spring. He had a feeling, though, that it was not a hot spring. In fact, he could see thin and shattered blankets of ice across the waters surface. If she went in there, she could freeze to death. Was the glowing figure trying to kill her? It was then that he called out to her.
Nirvana turned swiftly to the sound of his voice, her face confused, her eyes glazed. He ran to her side, catching her as her limbs gave out. Looking into her visage, he saw that her pupils were almost completely dilated, barely any emerald showing through.
Sokka turned angrily to the figure, a snarl ready in his throat. His eyebrows furrowed and he bared his teeth.
"What did you do to her?" he demanded. The figure simply spun on its heel and faded away. He frowned, anger fading away as well. Confusion took its place as darkness flooded the farthest corners of the room. The only source of light was the pool to Sokka's left. For some reason or another, it was still glowing its bizarre cyan light.
Sokka took one more glance around, then looked back to Nirvana. Long moments passed where she stared up at him, unmoving. He waited, hoping that she would breathe, move, do something. His fingers clenched in white-knuckled strength around her arm. His lips parted, ragged breaths breaking through. For those long moments, he believed that she might not wake up.
That he might never see a smile light up her beautiful face again.
That he might never get to kiss her again.
That he would never know how it would feel to love her as deeply as a man can love a woman.
His heart beat fast and hard against his ribcage, counting seconds, minutes…
Finally, her chest lifted in a gasp. He watched as her pupils constricted back to normal and she blinked three times.
"Where are we?" she asked, eyebrows furrowing beneath dark fringe. Relief flooded through Sokka's entire body, his heart rate picking up. He yanked her to his chest, nearly crushing her in his arms. Hot tears leaked, pooling in the corners of his eyes. A chant fell from his lips as he rocked back and forth.
"You're okay, you're okay, you're okay…"
"Sokka?" Her small fingers wound themselves in his hair. She tugged out the elastic, letting his hair fall free about his angular face.
They sat holding each other for a long while, until finally Sokka's tears had dried and Nirvana felt normal once more.
Sokka pulled back, arms still wound around his love. Her hand cradled his face as he looked down on her. He watched as her eyes glanced from his mouth, again and again. Closing his own eyes, he lowered his face to hers and seized her lips.
The kiss began slow, a flame igniting with the connection. Becoming more fervent, Sokka moved his mouth over hers, licking gently at her bottom lip. Moving together, their mouths slid against one another; as one yet playing with the other. Sokka smiled slowly against her lips, running his thumb along her collar bone. Momentarily distracted, she opened her mouth, and his tongue broke down her defences. She moaned quietly as Sokka explored, imprinting each detail in his mind. Nirvana's fingers tugged gently on his hair, pulling his closer.
Sokka placed her softly onto the ground, lips still moving against hers. Her lowered his body to hers, now on his elbows and knees above her. She tugged carefully on his shirt, pulling his chest to hers. He nibbled on her bottom lip, wanting to implode at the sensation of her body beneath him. Her breasts firm but soft against his chest.
His lips fumbled for a moment as he felt her hands work their way to the neck of his tunic. She pulled it gently off his shoulders and down his back. Her fingertips traced fire as she ran them back up to the nape of his neck. Sokka shuddered, kissing her more fiercely. He broke the connection of their lips, and brought it back down on her cheek, her jaw, her neck. He kissed across her collar bone, relishing her soft moans seeping from her lips and the way her fingers tugged on his hair. His lips traveled down to the valley of her breasts, parting her shirt with expert fingers. After kissing each mound, he moved back up to her mouth. With shaking fingers, Sokka's unsure hand hovered above her left breast. Nirvana opened her eyes, sapphire meeting emerald. She smiled, assuring, and placed her own hand on his. She guided his hand inside the seam of her tunic, sucking his lower lip between her teeth.
Heat flooded Sokka's face as the softness of her bare skin made him go rigid. Under his burning palm, the small bud of her breast hardened slightly. His fingers clenched softly, massaging and caressing. Nirvana's hands found the hard planes of Sokka's bare chest, heat radiating from her now, as well.
Sokka kissed her lips once more, then drew back. His eyes were questioning, but Nirvana's were smiling. Her face was flushed, except her cheeks. Rosy and drained, she giggled quietly. Sokka's bass joined her high tenor in a chorus of laughter. Her withdrew his hand from her shirt, trailing a finger across her nipple and earning one last shudder.
Fixing their clothes, they joined hands before returning to the fire.
