Title: I'll Take (What You Will Give)
Rating: K
Character/Pairing: Sokka/Suki
Summary: On the trip home, Sokka finds getting alone time on a crowded boat does not work to his benefit.
A/N: Written for 31days, theme: our breaths in winter. Set post-series.
He knows they're getting close to home by the chill in the air and the mists on the water. Sometimes Sokka closes his eyes and turns towards the glare of the sun, sure that he'll open them to find his bright little village in front of him, Gran Gran waving impatiently because she has dinner waiting…
Sokka spends a lot of time imagining things lately; ever since their close call with Zuko, Suki has halted their time alone together, and that's only gone double since they boarded the tiny ship home with his father tribe and her sister warriors.
Naturally, his imagination pales in comparison to the real thing. When Sokka finds Suki standing at the bow of the ship, by her lonesome for the first time in what seems like forever, he has no problem limping up behind her and effectively pinning her in place by wrapping his hands around hers where they're gripping the rail.
"It seems like forever since we've been alone," he murmurs in her ear, his hot breath fogging instantly in the cold air.
"We're not alone," Suki responds promptly. "Umiko and Ty Lee are less than twenty steps away."
"You know what I mean," Sokka wheedles, letting his numb nose slip under the edge of her scarf before placing a hot kiss under the angle of her jaw. Despite her protests, Suki doesn't stop him. Instead she braces herself against the side of the ship, keeping her eyes ahead on the sea at all times. "I miss you. You have to miss me. You can't tell me I'm not having an effect on you."
"That's not true," she objects weakly.
"I can tell you're lying." His tone is sing-song but his actions serious as he curls her hair behind her ear and leans in close over her.
"You've been hanging out with Toph too much," Suki accuses, turning to face him and keeping their bodies pressed close.
"Maybe." He reaches up and taps a finger against her nose. "But I can't see your breath in this cold air. You're telling me I don't leave you breathless?"
Suki rolls her eyes and puts her hand in his face. "Sometimes a girl just doesn't want to waste it." Then, light-footed as ever, she pushes around him and heads back below deck. He hears her greet the girls, and Ty Lee's cheerful response.
Sokka groans, leaning hard against the railing, and closes his eyes. "Well that's not how I imagined that going…"
Originally posted 01/01/09