Chapter Eighteen
Suki smiled as she watched mother and son reunite. When the two of them finally stopped hugging, Aang turned and waved at her before following Linda into the house. Unsure if she should stay or leave, she took out her phone and texted Aang, asking what he wanted. He replied back saying that it was okay if she left because he wanted to get reacquainted with mom. Suki understand and texted back that she would head home. That was fine with him and, checking for traffic, she turned around and headed back the way they had come.
Suki didn't even feel left out because she had seen Linda often enough. Plus, there was something she wanted to do back at the house.
She had been a little nervous when Linda had grabbed the bracelet on Aang's wrist because she knew he still had trouble with touching in general. In the last couple of months he had come a long way in his recovery. But there were some instances where his past got the better of him. Sudden movements out of the corner of his eye would make him jump, loud noises made him flinch, and the nightmares hadn't completely gone.
Her brother had been through hell and back. When she first saw him that day in the cafe, it was as if her past had come alive again. All she had wanted to do was hug him, and she had, without thinking that it might scare him. Of course, Suki hadn't known about the mistress or the terrible torture Aang had been under. But still; when dealing with someone who had been gone for so long with so much abuse on their mind, that person could have changed for the worst.
Taking the route back home, Suki thought about her own past. Her parents had died when she was young, but she remembered them clearly. She had been at the park with a friend along with her father, who had agreed to watch Suki for that weekend, and when they had arrived back at Suki's, they saw the smoke and the house in flames. Police and firefighters were on the scene.
She may not have a photographic memory like Aang, but she will never forget the image that burned in her mind.
It was some time after the fire that she learned of her parents' deaths.
Tears clogged her throat as she pulled onto the road leading to her friends' house. She couldn't recall how long she had sat in that police station, waiting for her parents, ones that would not come back. Her adoptive parents, the Windstorms, were good people, and she loved them, but sometimes she would feel that ache for her old ones.
Walking up to Sokka's and Katara's door, she didn't bother knocking, since they knew she pretty much lived there too. Hakoda had made it clear that she was always welcome in their house; they even had a spare key for her in case she needed to get away. Their trust was humbling and wonderful.
Once inside, her thoughts, inevitably, turned to relationships. After all this time, these last two months, she had noticed that Aang and Katara had gotten closer, but she knew it wasn't platonic, even though they both worked hard to keep it that way.
It was clear to her, if not them, how much they cared for each other in a romantic way. It was in their gazes, their touches, and their tones of voices, but both seemed to be completely blind to it. Suki wished they would get on with it, but perhaps it was also best that they take it slow. God knows, they need time to get to each other better, as well as defeat their demons from the past.
Sitting on the sofa, she thought about Sokka, his dark brown hair always in a ponytail, or wolftail as he liked to call it, those deep blue eyes that made her heart speed up, his tender expression when he looked at his little sister like she was his number one girl. He was a fine young man, someone a person can rely on despite his stupid jokes; he was funny even without them.
But he was also strong, kind, and selfless. He liked caramel popcorn and late night movies. More than once she had caught him staring at her with an expression she wasn't sure what to name, but it always had a sort of tension to it, as if he wanted to say something but changed his mind at the last minute.
Could he like her as she did him?
Was he secretly in love with her?
Suki desperately wanted to find out if that was the case, but she was scared. Damn it, she shouldn't be this afraid! But...that conviction didn't change the truth. The idea of rejection, the loss of her friend...it made her chest painfully tight just thinking about the possibility.
Footsteps coming her way alerted her. She looked up and felt her heart squeeze at the sight of her friend. Sokka looked as handsome as ever, though to her, he always had been. He was wearing a look off-white t-shirt and gray sweats, looking adorably rumpled.
He smiled when their eyes met and she hoped to God that her blush wasn't obvious. "Hey, you," he said casually, sitting next to her and placing an arm around her shoulders, like he had done loads of times before.
But that didn't stop the heat from scorching her skin pleasantly under his arm.
Suki grinned, hoping her heart would calm fruitlessly. "Hi, Sokka."
When he looked around, she knew who he was looking, and his question confirmed it. "Where's Aang?" There was some concern in his voice that she found endearing. Aang had become like a brother to him since that fateful day.
She grinned at him. "He finally plucked up the courage to see Mom."
His eyes met her in surprise. "Really? How did that go?" he asked after her nod.
"Pretty well, considering." She decided not to mention the scare she'd had about the bracelet; Linda didn't know that it was her son at first and had assumed the worse.
He looked joyous for Aang, but there was still a liver of worry. "Did she scare him?"
"A little," she admitted. "But afterwards, they seemed to hit it off. He said I could come back here until the visit was done, but I think Mom will being him home." She shrugged, feeling pleased that he hadn't let down his arm yet. "Who knows; maybe you and Katara can finally meet her."
Sokka nodded thoughtfully. "I always did wonder what kind of woman Linda was." He paused, then added, "Speaking of my sister, have you noticed how close she and Aang seemed to become?"
Knowing exactly what he meant, she smirked. "Worried about him defiling her?" she teased.
He flushed, grimacing. "No, not at all. I meant that..." He groaned before admitting, "I think they like each other!"
Suki laughed, euphoria thrumming in her at riling him up. "Don't miss much, do you?" she asked humorously.
Scowling playfully at her, he retorted, "Not my fault I have a sixth sense about this kind of thing."
"Oh, really? Then why haven't you noticed-" She cut herself off, horrified about what she had almost let slip. He could not know about her feelings for him; their friendship was beautiful, if frustrating at times. But she didn't want to lose him over something that he may not even feel.
Sokka raised his brows, indicating that he had noticed her slip. "Noticed what, Suki?" His voice, which had been casual so far, had deepened, and the tone was doing horrible yet wonderful things to her belly.
Her cheeks flushed; heat radiated from her face as she mumbled, looking down, "Nothing, it's not important."
The hand on her shoulder tightened. The other one gently grasped her chin, lifting her face up to his. He studied her for a few moments, and Suki was positive that he could hear her thrumming heart. He took a breath as if calming down, then asked, "Take a walk with me?"
Startled she said, "A walk?"
He grinned, though, for some inexplicable reason, it seemed a little forced to her. "Yeah, a walk. You know, enjoying the scenery and all that." He released her and stood up, saying, "I'll get dressed and be right back." He left without waiting for her to reply.
What could he possibly want to go on a walk for? Did he realize that she liked him and wanted to let her down gently? Did he at least suspect about her feelings and wanted to explain that he still loved Yue? Both scenarios sounded depressing.
Oh, boy, this was going to be a long walk.
(***)
Sokka was silently freaking out.
He and Suki had left the house a little while ago, enjoying the sights and sounds of home. There was a reason why he had wanted to bring her out here, but now that they were, he kind of wished they had stuck it out at the house. It was no mystery why his heart was galloping like a wild horse on a rampage. With the beautiful and kind girl by his side, Sokka was sure his face as completely flushed red. At least it was a warm day, so maybe he could pass it off as something from the heat.
They went to an ice cream parlor, checked out some music, and went to see Teresa, who offered some books that were on sale. Suki found a romance of the west and, hoping that it made him seem better in her eyes, Sokka bought it for her, despite her protest.
Afterwards, they went to their special place, the same one they had taken Aang to that day. Breathing in the salty air, Sokka couldn't think of anything more appealing that sitting by the girl he secretly loved and watching sailboats glide across the blue surface.
Suki gave a content sigh, leaning on her elbows in the grass. "This day has been nice." She looked over at him with such a gentle smile that it made his breath catch silently. "Thank you for this, Sokka."
He cleared his throat, hoping the blush wasn't too obvious. "Yeah, you're welcome."
Judging by the tilt of her head in concern, the blush was noticed. "Are you okay?" she asked, raising a hand to his face. "You look kind of red. You're not sick, are you?"
If he was sick, then he never wanted to get better, but all he said was, "No, I'm good."
"Are you sure?" she asked, feeling his cheeks now.
Sokka grabbed her hands and pulled them down, but couldn't make himself let go. Her skin was slightly calloused but soft. He smiled. "I am. It's just warm today."
Suki looked at him carefully before seeming to take his semi truth. "Okay."
The silence between them stretched endlessly, and Sokka wandered away in his thoughts. Would Yue have approved of Suki? They did become friends the year before the accident that had taken the white haired girl's life. Two years they were friends until that dreadful day. He would never forget the smell of burning rubber and blood, the scream that Suki gave when they realized what had happened.
The car had struck Yue head on, killing her instantly. No one should look like a lifeless doll, eyes opened but gassy, unseeing. The ground was red, her tanned limbs crooked, and a trickled of that same, life-giving liquid left her by the mouth.
Sokka had cradled Yue right there on the street, crying, yelling, wishing it hadn't happened. But it did, and he had remained in a stupor for a couple of months. He had been in love with her, the girl he believed he would one day marry. When she died, he had been inconsolable, but Suki never stopped trying to get him out of his funk.
Eventually he opened up, little by little, until he could joke again, to shine like he had before. Of course, some of the sadness about Yue lingered in his heart and mind, but the possibility of a new love, though terrifying, was exhilarating. This past year he had grown to love Suki and wanted to be with her, but a shadow of doubt remained.
What if she died next? Sokka didn't think his heart could handle it.
But he wanted to be with her.
So, with a deep breath, he muttered, "Suki?"
Her cobalt eyes peered at him. "Yes?"
He met her gaze, feeling his nerves shake with the amount of love he felt for this young woman. "I'm going to do something that you may or may not like, but I need you to trust me."
Looking slightly alarmed at first, Suki slowly nodded. "I do, Sokka." Then she grinned. "Unless it involves stealing Pizza Planet food, then you're on your own."
He had to laugh a little before becoming sober. "Close your eyes?" he requested softly.
Now she looked a little nervous, but did as asked. Suki breath seemed to be a bit faster than before, but maybe that was his own; his pulse was rocketing a little higher as the seconds passed.
Hoping that she would not murder him for doing this, Sokka grasped her hands and moved closer. He became highly aware of the fact that his hands were sweaty, but Suki didn't pull away. In fact she gripped just a little more tightly. Her breath smelled of strawberry ice cream, her favorite, and her hair like almonds.
Eyes fluttering closed, Sokka slowly, gently, brought his mouth to hers...and kissed those tempting lips.
Suki's intake of breath made him want to deepen the kiss, but he kept it gentle, making sure she felt safe. To his delight, she began to kiss back, and he wrapped his arms around her waist as he fell back against the sun-soaked grass. Her weight on top of him as thrilling. Suki's hands grabbed his shirt as the kiss went deeper, but still sweet, and Sokka couldn't think, could only feel the warmth of her body and the sun on his face, her scent entering his lungs.
He could die like this.
Suki pulled away from him, her face adorably flushed as her fingers played with his shirt collar. She grinned shyly. "Hi," she breathed.
Heart still galloping in his chest, Sokka smiled, tightening his hold. "Hello," he murmured with a grin.
She giggled and the warmth in his chest flared brighter because it was so rare to hear her make that sound. It made her natural beauty come out in clarity.
Brushing a piece of hair from her face, she said, "Well, that happened."
He laughed, unsure why he found that wording funny, but he suspected relief had something to do with it. After a moment Suki began to laugh with him, burying her face in his chest. He covered his face with one hand. "Oh, God," he wheezed. "Why are we laughing?"
Chortling, she raised her rumpled head to beam at him. "I'm not sure," she managed, "but I'm glad."
Sokka squeezed her waist. "Me too. I honestly thought you were going to beat me up for that."
Her face mock-serious, she pursed her lips. "Well, I still might." Then she grinned. "But only because you're an idiot."
He shook his head in fake horror. "Oh, no, but I so do understand. Just spare the wolftail, I tell you!"
She kissed him, laughing, before pulling back. "I've been wanting to that for a while now," she admitted in a quiet voice.
His face dreamy, he replied, "Yeah, me too, Suki." He gave a light kiss and asked, "Would you like to be my girlfriend? And go on a proper date?"
Suki smiled mischievously. "This didn't count?"
He blushed harder, thinking maybe he should not have said that. "Uh, I mean... It could have been, if you want to believe that."
Suki narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I'll definitely count it." He expression softened as she caressed her cheek against his, making Sokka's heart rate soar. "I count today very much."
Sokka nuzzled her back, kissing her neck slightly, and felt her shiver. "Still, I want to take you out to dinner. Maybe tomorrow?"
She smiled gently, playing with his shirt. "I'd like that, Sokka."
And he just had to kiss her smiling mouth again, feeling his burn from the amount of love and care he felt at that moment.
Sokka's life was finally clicking into place.
Finally done; thought Sukka was needed first, now I can focus a little more on Kataang. But for now, I'm going to take a break because I want to write a little more of my novel that I've been sadly slacking on. But don't worry; you won't wait for too long, my fans.