Author's Note: I'm not at all pleased with my most recent Sokka/Yue one-shot and felt it necessary to include her once more, in hopes of ridding myself of this displeasure.
-o-o-o-
Sokka had never been one for swimming. Indeed, he had never found it necessary, receiving a sufficient dose of the element from Katara. But that early morning he felt rather encrusted with some emotion he couldn't specify and decided that a few harsh strokes and splashes would rid him of this feeling. And there wasn't really any means of pacifying himself with an excuse, what with the pretty little pond just a step or two away of their encampment and a happy waterfall that seemed to beckon him in with its gurgling tune. Hence Sokka took action, leaving a sleeping Toph sprawled carelessly about on Appa's foot, Aang perched above, snoring, with the bison's horn for support, and Katara peacefully burrowed within her own sleeping bag. He just hoped Yue wouldn't follow.
Nothing was removed; in he went, clothing and all, inching deeper into the water with each step. His eye was caught by the thin crescent of a moon, flinging his mind back to the happenings of last night. Yue's distressed face. Toph's confused interruption. The stars and the nighttime clouds left without their lunar companion, descended to the ground below in the shape of a love-struck young woman. The itchy feeling of wanting and cold presence of remorse. You didn't protect me.
And, all at once, Sokka found himself submerged and surfaced in a startled collection of splashing and gasping. But no one stirred; not a noise made itself known; so he tried it again. Move your arms, Sokka. Here, like this. Those words Katara had spoken so long ago, when they ventured to the hot springs as children. Parkas were left in a pile below and Katara – at the mature age of six – had instantly slipped below, emerging in a mere moment, hair stringy and wet. But Sokka remained awkwardly above the water. Swim Sokka! Don't you know how? No, he hadn't. Moving about the water had come naturally for his sister, but warriors didn't take time to learn such things.
How he wished he had learned such things! But Sokka of all people had learned that practice was key; so he began to kick his feet and move his arms, slowly maneuvering through the water, smiling to himself. In a spirit of daring, he went deeper, faster, watching the bottom cloud as he flailed about. But then she appeared, in an instant, ready to – unintentionally, of course – fill him with that horrid combination of misery and longing.
Yue seemed to hang in the water, like a paper lantern from the Winter Festival, staring at him with solemn recognition. The same luminescent glow seemed to carry her; hair of white wandered and moved like something alive, tickling her face; wide eyes took everything in, yet stared right through him; but, most importantly, innocent lips were curled in the smallest of smiles. She was proud of him. He felt it.
And, all at once, she was gone again. And all at once, Sokka felt the longing and misery increase to the point of pain in his chest; of course, he realized it was from lack of air and surfaced once more. From the water he slowly emerged, and a though occurred to him. Leaving wet footprints behind and an array of drops and watermarks, Sokka decided it was time for Toph to learn how to swim.
