Blood Benders
Chapter 50,
Just Sokka
He really didn't care that his sister was keeping things. Nope, not a bit. He was with Suki, and he knew this was their last chance to see one another before the comet. It made him feel so stupid, to be so happy. He usually refused to feel so...lonely. It surprised him when he felt so completed in her presence. Even describing this to himself, Sokka had to hide his face. He was smiling so much it hurt.
Suki came up from behind him and kissed his neck. The very touch made goosebumps rise on his arm.
"Good morning." He said, his hands barely keeping hold of the plates he had prepared. She came around him with her lower lip hidden behind pretty teeth. Sokka kissed her before handing her her breakfast. They sat and ate together, silently as they stared. Their eyes kept meeting, and he could see something else flash behind her lashes. The same look had sent him many a time spiraling into his own, sinful thoughts.
"I'm headed out today. I probably won't be back 'till later." She said when the eating was done. He placed the plates in their sink and went to washing. She dressed while he did so. Sokka was content. And, despite the war, he didn't want time to move. He wanted to live in this one moment, forever. Happiness felt as if it would never abandon him.
"See you, Sokka."
They embraced, said good-bye with raw emotion. Each time they went out, there was never a promise of returning. It was this, he thought, that made them both so happy. The promise of right now, this moment. Hope for the next hello.
"Be safe." He whispered into her hair. She waved from the road, and he felt her absence.
But idle hands were the Fire Lord's playthings. He went to a small area outside of the Kyoshi Warrior dojo, where he had long practiced sword play. Today, though, he was using fans. He had done it once when they were younger, but that was so long ago.
He just wanted to remember what it felt like to be on the same playing field as Suki. She was beyond him in ways he would never grasp. At least here, with the fans, they had something in common. Something measurable. Even if the measure was a great, whopping negative on his end.
After two hours' attempt, he replaced the fans to their proper place. Several of Suki's girls were staring at him, but he hoped they were used to it. Sure, he was gai-jin, but he'd been around here for, oh... nearing eight years?
Eight years... had it been so long? It didn't feel like that long... Let's see... He was fifteen when they met... and Katara was thirteen. And now she was approaching twenty-two. That was eight. How the time had flown.
A laugh interrupted Sokka's musing. He looked up through the window. Aang and Toph were walking and they seemed very absorbed in one another. So much so, the Avatar bumped into someone and nearly knocked everyone over. And Sokka nearly laughed. To think, his little brother had grown so much.
Sokka decided to walk around the village, seeing if there was anything to do or any trouble to get into. At first, he just purchased supplies for drying- meats and fruits and such- for when they left. It had to have been a habit, because he refused to actually think about leaving. When he had everything he needed, he emptied his burden in Suki's home. It was dark before he reached his destination.
The constantly lively town, for some reason, seemed to lull. It got quiet. Sokka went to investigate.
In the center of the town was a large fire. All of the children and young people were seated on one side of the flames, and the elders were off to another side. He could see someone dancing around the center. When he was close enough to see, he could make out ice figures reflecting the fire light.
"And so the man began to curse at the moon." His sister's voice drawled. She was putting on a show for the village. He could see her dancing along with her ice-people.
Sokka leaned on a tree and listened to her story. He'd heard it a thousand times- their mom used to tell it all the time- but it was his sister's voice he was trying to listen to. He was trying to find sadness and hurt. He'd read the mission journal. The pain had to have been real for her. And he knew how she 'dealt' with things. She would bottle them up. Let them seep out in secret.
"Did they fall in love?" A girl asked with her hand raised.
The question made Katara stand straight, with a small smile. Sokka tried to see her eyes.
"I don't know. But I would think so." She answered.
"I think they did." The little girl continued. The child's voice was a whisper, trying to maintain the story-like quality of the air surrounding the fire.
"And just like that, the Earth and the Moon decided to stay together for all eternity."
The claps led Katara to bow. When her body moved, so did the ice-people. Sokka was impressed and surprised with how far she had come. He could still remember a time when she could barely lift water from a lake. And now, now she was commanding the liquid with every muscle in her body.
"That was a nice story." One of the older women was telling Katara. Sokka came closer to his sister.
"Thank you." The water bender said. Katara's posture looked...tired.
When she turned, she noticed Sokka immediately. She embraced him with a gentle, though questioning, smile. He shrugged.
"You've been practicing." He said proudly. But before she could get too embarrassed, he added, "Of course, you couldn't have gotten worse."
She hit his arm, "I don't see you bending."
"This is true. But, that's why we've got you."
She groaned. Then, she remembered something, "Oh! Have you talked to Suki...?"
"Not since this morning. Why?"
When she shook her head no, Sokka wanted to question further. Was something wrong? Was he missing something? Was it her birthday? Crap.
"I've gotta go." He said, hoping she wasn't home already. He raced his thoughts home.
Suki was waiting for him at the kitchen table.
She stared at him, and before he could say anything, she held her hand up. Said she had something to say, and she needed to be completely honest.
Sokka was unprepared.
He sat, too stunned for too long. He couldn't be sure exactly what he wanted to say. His heart felt still, blood cold. Honest to Moon truth, now wasn't the time. But there was something more than the timing. He was going to be a dad! A dad.
He had no idea how that was going to work. He could barely keep himself alive. How was he supposed to protect...
He stood and he pulled Suki into a hug.
"Are you...alright?" She asked him.
And he laughed, a few tears escaping him, "Scared."
"Me too." She said. They both took a few breaths.
Sokka gulped, "Good thing we've got Katara." He felt Suki nod so he continued, "She knows all about stuff like this."
They were quiet again. That night, Sokka held her more closely than he ever had. He couldn't worry about the future right now. He had to focus on Suki, or he was going to go insane.
Eh, he might go crazy anyways.
A/N: Alright, short fluff chapter. This was really intesnse, since it was all through one POV. Felt odd. Probably won't be doing that again any time soon.
And OMCosplay. 50 Chapters... I think I can wrap this up in...5-6 chapters? I've decided (if enough people are interested... enough meaning more than one (because I'm excited about the concept and... well, I don't think that many people will be interested..)...) to do a sequel.
