"We can start with your feelings. There hasn't been a lot going on up there" Yue said smiling, carefully brushing her hair with her fingers.
"Well….I…I have been a wreck" Sokka admitted looking at her long hair. "I haven't been good at all"
"I can tell, your outfit is ruined" She gestured stretching her hand, moving it carefully. Sokka gasped at seeing her bend the dark splashes out of his clothes, throwing them around the pillars.
"You can waterbend?! That's amazing!" Sokka exclaimed excited. Yue giggled
"I am the moon. I can bend" She said dreamily looking at him, her humanity still intact "Let's not get out of track with you, I have grown used to you telling me almost everything"
Sokka gulped and scratched his head, unsure of confiding in her. He stared at the divinity in front of him, still amazed at the opportunity to see her physically, again.
"Do you? I thought…."He stopped his sentence, talking about the issue at hand "Well, I have this disease called darkening, it has pretty much ruined my relationship with my friends and family and we don't know how to get this out, firstallstartedsupposedlybecauseofyoudyin…"
"Sokka hold on, hold on" Yue interrupted, getting lost in his fast mumble "Calm down, speak slower, we have all the night to talk" she smiled, shifting her position.
"I said… first all started, supposedly, because of losing you." He blushed, not voicing that pain out loud in months "Now that I willingly lost her…"
Yue's eyes grew a bit, inspecting his body language. He tensed at the mention of Suki, she knew, as years ago he would spend most of the night talking about her.
"Suki. You already introduced her to me" Yue smiled reassuringly, Sokka gulped
"Suki…Suki." He placed his head on his hands, feeling guilty inside "I screwed up everything with Suki and now she has this darkness too"
Yue looked at him with confusion, trying to figure out other parts of the story.
"If we hadn't met maybe…maybe she wouldn't have this darkness. She is so faithful to her cause, never gives up, her duty always comes first…." Sokka chuckled and then laughed, confusing Yue even more.
"Am I missing something?" Yue asked trying to figure out the funny part, Sokka wiped out a mysterious tear, as the moon goddess was unsure if it was from happiness or sadness.
"No, I'm sorry, maybe I did. Suki and you are so similar now that I notice" He said looking at her blushing, Yue's own face contorted in embarrassment, then a small frown.
"It's not polite to compare people Sokka" She said crossing her arms
"Sorry" He apologized, scratching his head again "The point is…I don't know how to fix this. Seeing you was supposed to help me…" He whispered, almost embarrassed to admit it
"I'm glad then I can help you. That's why I showed up. You worried me that day" She replied looking down. "You barely hanged there, your friends were horrified"
"I'm not proud of it, I'm sorry I was a burden to you" Sokka eyed her with regret.
"You were not a burden, as I said, I would always be with you. But now I worry that if I get too far you'll kill yourself. What else is happening inside you? Is it only Suki your issue?" Yue asked, making him reconsider the point of this visit.
"No, she is not. They say I have some form of attachment issues. I can't see how! I realized my mistake, tried to go on with my life, became too fearful of loosing Suki and now I have attachment issues? Wouldn't it be that I can't commit to any woman at all?" Sokka finished his rant with heavy breathing, unaware until he stopped talking.
Yue's hands supported her head as she thought for a proper answer. Her eyes looked at the sky as she sat quietly.
"It's not always that way that manifests Sokka. How much have you been thinking about your relationships these past months?" She asked, knowing part of the answer would be a lot.
"…I might have thought about it a lot, but isn't that a good thing? It means I care" He said justifying his posture, knowing well it did more harm.
"You care, but do you? What else you know about Suki that's not saving your life, being a kyoshi warrior and being stubborn?" Yue asked, not a hint of malice in her voice, instead of reflection. Sokka thought about it too, trying to pinpoint other features of his then girlfriend.
"She is…brave…"
"You already said that-"
"I know! Wait…" He said blushing "When we both first shared intimacy she told me how she had her own demons…her dad specifically. He died, her mom left them. I hoped me listening to her helped lowering her pain as it did to me… She is unique…she is someone that.."
Sokka stopped talking at looking at Yue's smile, the corners of her mouth making him vividly remember their own small adventures in their dates…or "Activities" as he worded it. It confused him how much love he still had for her and still felt strongly about Suki. Something heavy fell down off him, emotionally at least.
"Go on, I like listening to you"
"She is someone that has helped me overcome you…to the point I was forgetting your face" He said nervous, his body more relaxed at admitting it. His heart pounded nervously, opposite how his body looked.
Yue didn't take offense on his words, but still frowned. Sokka closed his eyes, ready for another lecture from her. She was in her right, he had forgotten her face to avoid the pain, even after she had saved his life.
"You said Suki is helping you with that pain, right? Forgetting me?" Yue asked, her voice firm.
"Yes" He replied quicky, his eyes closed in fear of her anger.
"Why would you put such a heavy duty on her?" Yue asked with bitterness, making him look at her puzzled.
"What?"
"She has her own demons too, you just told me, and she also has to carry you own? Sokka, you are wrong in how you are loving her. She will not fill that void I left" Yue said walking outside the pond and next to him.
Sokka stood up too, seeing how they were almost the same height thanks to her floating.
"She offered her help! I can't see how is that wrong? Wouldn't be worse to push her away?"
"You are already pushing her away! Look at yourself…what else do you know about her demons? Why is it that her parents leaving her an orphan affected her? How she coped with it? What else she did to gather herself from the ground?" Yue asked a bit vividly, worried about them.
Sokka had no words to say. "She is right…" Sokka thought
"Have I…Oh no. It seems I have a row in screwing everything!" He complained turning away.
"You have what Sokka? Express yourself, I'm here" She said putting an arm on his shoulder for comfort.
"I have idolized her… maybe a bit too much. She is strong, she is smart, but she is not invincible. Maybe that's why she ran to Zuko, he probably is better at listening" He complained crossing his arms.
His heart still ached at the thought of Zuko and Suki together, hearing Suki say "I love you" and his name made his blood boil. Maybe that was what love was, taking care of each other, not leaning too heavily, but just enough to share the hurt and pain.
"Now now let's not get ahead of ourselves, now that you know…what are you going to do?" Yue asked as Sokka reflected.
"What should I do to fix this? How do I gain her trust?" He brainstormed "Should I tell her about Yue? No, that would be leaning on, should I go on a journey as Katara and Zuko did? That doesn't sound so bad at all"
"Sokka…what are you planning?" Yue asked. Sokka turned and saw her smiling. She knew how smart he was when he put some thought into it.
"What I should have done since the start…just listen to her. Talk, not push her away but wailing into my sadness. We should dwell in both of our hurt." He said smiling, feeling as if he found the right answer.
He felt like that anyway. Running to embrace Yue. Yue returned the hug, happy to had a heart to heart with him.
"I knew you were smart Sokka. This is a way of showing love too, taking care of yourself and asking yourself thought questions, however…" They parted and looked at each other dearly. "You still need healers to help you manage this darkness. You are not alone"
Sokka finally understood…he loved Yue in a different way he did to Suki. That was the reason he was forgetting Yue, because he only saw his idealization of her, the careful, polite and sad princess, instead of the courageous, empathic and wise.
He was idealizing Suki too. Of course she wouldn't wait on him as if she was his version of Yue. As much as it would pain him, Suki would have found a way to get over him and live to her fullest.
And that was one reason that made him crazy about her.
How flexible, smart, gentle, and most of all, how some not so lovely things wouldn't change in her: The way she couldn't admit when he beat her in training, how easily she would loose her temper at the discrimination of other people now that she has seen the world, how fragile she could be.
"I love Suki…It is love…" He said out loud, seeing through Yue instead of her.
"I know…"She said disappearing, Sokka feeling for the last time, maybe, her touch in his shoulder. "Goodbye Sokka"
He was left standing there, his heart and mind feeling new and better. He couldn't wait to go back and properly fix what he had done wrong. Euphoria hit his body and he felt better than ever.
He walked back to the entrance and almost ran to where it was supposed to be the feast but stopped at seeing Yue's mom standing there. He felt a shiver down his spine and only bowed out of respect, the woman bowed back and stepped out of the way.
He ran as fast as he could to enjoy the evening with his sister. As he arrived he saw how colorful and elegant everything looked. He smiled to himself, looking for his sister in the tables until she found her.
Katara looked puzzled but happy at seeing him smiling, he ran towards her, immediately hugging her from behind and putting a big kiss on her head.
"Okay?" Katara asked confused as he sat down next to her, Electra on the other side, looked amazed at the display of affection between siblings.
"Okay" He replied grabbing his cup and gesturing for something to drink, feeling energetic and happy. "I won't overthink anything again, not today. Step by step, until I see Suki again" He thought, his heart melting at the name of his love.
"You had a good time sir?" Electra asked as he saw him chugging the glass of water.
"An amazing time actually, closer to my feelings to beef jerky" He joked making her laugh
"That was a bad joke" She replied, grinning.
"It was fabulous! The north really has no humor huh!" He said including Katara on the conversation.
Katara smiled and felt hopeful in this change of attitude in Sokka. He was back to being himself: Witty, unfunny and gentle.
Inside Sokka felt anxious, still. Is he overcompensating again that Yue left to what Suki might do? He shook his head again as he focused on whatever Electra was telling him "One step at the time" He thought
"tomorrow morning will be the meeting so whenever you feel tired can go and rest. You also have some email at you room waiting, it arrived some time ago but you were…meditating, they told me" She smirked, knowing part of the story.
"Oh? You mean you are already making me go to sleep? I have just arrived! Party is here!" He said standing up to grab more food. Electra laughed unusually loud at Sokka, who seemed to be enjoying himself.
Katara, having spent already some time talking with the people at the party, said her goodbyes and went to her room, feeling tired at the roller coaster of emotions she had felt since his chat with Sokka.
The way he hugged her and smiled reminded her so much when both were little, playing with his mom on the snow. She laid down her clothes as she prepared the water to shower, ready to submerge herself in thoughts regarding her impact and help to her friends.
"I should put more attention on Suki too, she is hurting" She thought, remembering the anguished face she had on her room as she vividly remembered her on the floor panting.
Suki sat on the room in the upper ring reflecting by the window. Destiny was making fun of her, it had to be that. The same hand she used to punch through one of her emotional burst was now burned by some cult follower.
The same day she returned to work, risking her friends. Not that they couldn't take care of themselves, but the power balance was more noticeable. She was supposed to be an elite warrior, she has collected a lot of experience while helping the avatar end the hundred year war.
But still, she didn't seem strong enough to do her duty, thanks to wailing on her darkest thoughts and emotions.
"Just like you are doing right now" Suki thought blinking, looking at the food in front of her, still untouched. A week had passed and she was put on hold again, as the meetings already concluded and Zuko hang out with Aang on the lower rings, her squad and Toph doing the job.
She grabbed the stinking rice and walked outside the house, throwing the food to a small earth patch with worms and flowers. The decadence in the plants in that section was evident, it helped her cope with her own feelings of failure. How something so pretty and delicate died so easily.
She looked at her burned hand, still in bandages. The sun blinded her sight, making her turn backwards of it. She tried closing her hand and the pain immediately hit her, an audible grunt leaving from her.
"How delicate I am for a warrior" She thought ignoring her hand, focusing on mixing the rice with the worms. As she finished, she walked inside and washed her free hand, making her too conscious of her burned one. All the dirty water was falling on a bucket placed under.
"That does it" Suki said grabbing a side of the bandage and immediately unwrapping it. She bit her tongue until she finished, looking a the recovering scar in her hand and wrist. The water was still running and she looked at it determined.
"Thanks Kyoshi I'm alone" She thought as she bit her tongue, putting her hand under the water, who seemed to hurt her more than help her. She moved slowly her fingers and wrist, closing her eyes and focusing on the movement of her joints and not the pain.
She gasped after the tenth repetition, the pain excruciating. She tried holding a side of the bucket to clean the water and clenched her teeth, it hurt her. "My fault for being sloppy" She thought holding back tears and throwing outside the water.
As the water hit the mud, she fell and sat on the floor, feeling exhausted of using her hand again. The scar wasn't as serious. If she believed it, she could manage again to train. She searched around the house for her fans, who were on plain sight on the main room. Her left hand welcomed it as if a missing limb, the right hand had more trouble, as it still burned moving it.
She went outside, not caring for the heat of the sun this time. She started doing her forms more slowly than usual, gradually taking speed.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Toph screamed by the other side. Hours had already gone by the position of the sun.
"Practicing, what else?" She replied, closing both fans and biting her tongue. It hurt less but it was still painful.
"You need to rest Suki" Zuko said immediately reaching for her burned hand, Suki dodged his attempts of grabbing her fans. "Darn it" He said as they both danced, making Aang giggle.
"Do you feel better?" Aang asked as he saw the same dancing routine again. Suki smiled at him as he hit Zuko on the head with the right hand and dashed away towards the Avatar. He inspected the wound and healing. "Hey it is working! You do heal fast" He said dropping her hand, Suki already dancing backwards to dodge an incoming Zuko.
"Suki stop playing and give me the fan! I bet you hadn't eaten too" He said running to her.
Suki laughed as she dodged all Zuko's attempts of grabbing her hands. He tried outsmarting her by making her fall, kicking her legs. The warrior already saw his position and dodged it, smiling. She hadn't felt as gleeful in months. She was aware of him while focusing on the increasing adrenaline in her.
Zuko finally baited her by messing a reach, dancing around her to get her on a hand hold from her safe hand. Both were heavy breathing, Zuko tired by doing this routine with all his heavy armor and Suki from spending hours under the sun training. She lifted her head smiling to gaze into his amber eyes.
His heart stopped for a minute from seeing Suki so happy. If his cheeks weren't red already, they probably were now, as his grip softened from studying her features. Suki playfully bonked him with her fan, bringing him back to reality.
"Ready for round two?" She said in position already, opening both fans. She flinched at using her right hand but the smile never faded.
Aang grabbed both fans from her, standing by Zuko's side and giving them.
"You have practiced a lot already, your face is all red from training. Time to eat!" Aang said grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her towards the kitchen, with Suki complaining about having to do the rice again.
Zuko looked at the golden fans in his hands, unaware that the younger girl was still waiting for him to get inside. He sighed, the blush deepening as memories from their sparring session came back to him.
The first time he saw her so excited and anything but sad, similar to how happy she was now that she was forcing herself to use her brunt hand. "That's not right either way, we should advice her against it, the scar won't ever heal properly!"
"Ahem, are you done daydreaming Sparky? Or do I have to wait for another love confession?" Toph asked leaning on the frame of the door, making Zuko speed up towards her.
"That attraction has already passed. Old news" He lied, rolling his eyes.
"Sure, lie to me" Toph grinned walking towards the table.
"I am NOT lying Toph!" He screamed irritated, making Aang and Suki giggle from the kitchen.
She was again sitting by the window, reading the letter Aang sneaked to her. She smiled before slowly opening it, reading it's contents. A sad smile appeared in her face at the knowledge that he was having also a bad time with that experiment and that he wanted to know her state regarding her alcohol comsuption.
Not that she would tell him. She was too ashamed of admitting to trying mind affecting Jennamite, almost dying and having that vivid memory of her father rejecting him. It didn't bother her that much, digging deeper on what that lady had told her.
Maybe it was something she always thought and one of the reasons she loved being a Kyoshi Warrior. No men allowed nor involved. No power imbalance.
"Can I trust him? Being this far away?" She thought while leaning her head on her hand for support, her right hand struggling to grab the pencil for a reply. She didn't felt compelled to describe what she saw or how that made her feel, it would made him panic and want to run and protect her.
She can take care of herself, as she has done since she was eight. She smiled at remembering how she cleaned the smug look on his face by kicking his ass. She liked being the one teaching him how to fight, at least the basics. The strategy and mind behind most of their teamwork was a credit to Sokka.
Suki frowned at the idea of being tamed. "I am not an animal, what the hell was that expression?" She thought grabbing instead the pencil with her left hand, opting to try writing like that.
Hello Sokka
Hurt hand, hurt heart. I can't write
She gripped the paper and threw it away, annoyed at her condition. The pencil repedeatly tapped the table as she frowned trying to give him a short notice, so he wouldn't worry too much about her infatuation with him.
When did that started to matter to both of them? They went months without seeing each other and knew they would always be there, now with everything less chaotic their love seemed to fluctuate.
Sokka
Fought, got hurt.
I am still thinking about you
Don't worry, I will keep reading you
With Love, Suki.
Suki felt comfortable enough to roll it and send it with Hawky. She paninted her lips with her red paint, blushing at the thought of him noticing, and kissed a section of the paper. Cleaning her lips, she stood up and discreetly whistled, as the hawk raven came into view. She opened a drawer with some food and fed the animal, who happily received the combustible as the letter was put on his back.
"Go fly, Sokka will sure be happy" She said seeing the bird fly away.
She finally left the desk by the side of the window and sat on the bed, still feeling useless and not tired at all. She barely got to train and they expect her to sleep at their rate? She would be tired too if they would let her guard Zuko.
A knock came from her door, Suki personally went to open it to do something else physically to exhaust herself before sleeping.
"Hello?" She asked Zuko who was as serious as he could be in his face.
"Hi Suki, may I come in to chat?" He asked, she consented and turned around to sit both on the edge of the bed. Zuko looked at the wrist affected, unconsciously grabbing the arm to inspect and touch the scarring, making her flinch.
"Sorry, reflex. When I got mine I used to obsess over the time when it would heal. Yours is really going great" He said leaving her hand alone and looking at her. Suki shrugged, gazing at the moon visibly in her window.
"It's okay, It only bothers me how it restricts me from training"
"It's for your own good, it is better going gradually" He explained "I rush it and look, it's still here" He said pointing to his scar with a smile, trying to joke. Suki empathized, but didn't laugh at the joke.
"So…what's on your mind?" Suki asked as her feet dangled from the side of the bed. "You said you wanted to chat"
"I wanted to know how are you feeling. I still don't know why you went to buy Jenamite" He said with his face as serious as when he entered. The mood in the room quickly got heavier as Suki shuffled uncomfortable in her bed.
"Does it really matters? It was just this one thing" She said annoyed, backing up until her back was on the wall instead, stretching her legs on the bed. If she would loose some of her condition she sure wouldn't lose her flexibility.
"It matters to me. We use to be best friends and…" Zuko stopped talking, waiting for Suki to look back at him. "We don't talk anymore. You shy away in your room or running around the house. We both said we would confide more"
Suki remembered the scene on the ship and stopped stretching, thinking about their vows.
"I said I would not push you away"
"And you did this exactly when we arrived." Zuko sat on the other side, still waiting for her explanation.
"I…I just lost track of my views. The darkening kept coming in all our voyage. Even when I… didn't think of him something reminded me of…Sokka" Saying out loud his name made Suki uncomfortable, Zuko sighed trying to ignore his jealousy.
"And you decided that using Jenamite would help you focus?"
"Not really. Alcohol seemed to help me forget consciously about him, but that day you told me I still thought of him unconsciously so…maybe something stronger would help me" Suki explained, shying away her eyes from him.
Zuko opted to reduce the space between them, touching her leg to get her attention.
"You really worried all of us. You almost died…" Zuko said stroking her leg delicately. Suki's eyes teared. "It was really a miracle Toph detected something otherwise…I wouldn't know how I..how we would have moved on"
Suki could read between lines….he still deeply cared about her, and confiding in everything that was happening inside wouldn't help him at moving on. Zuko noticed her hesitation and retracted his hand.
"Sorry, I might have said too much" He apologized looking away, his golden eyes still showing sadness.
"I thought…I thought I would just relax. I hallucinated…people that are not here. It hurt me even more" Suki decided to open up, quickly cleaning her tears. Zuko listened holding a breath. "My dad…Sokka…and this lady I…I repeatedly tortured and…you"
"What did I do to you?" Zuko asked concerned, getting even closer.
"Nothing but…you were dead. A carcass, drained of blood and so limp that I…it felt real. Everything, when I was drowning in the snow…when those red sticky limbs restricted my hands and feet…" Suki shivered remembering "I wished I was dead. I hoped being dead was easier than living but…then I was just sitting in a dark room. Waiting for someone to pick me up."
Zuko put a hand on her knee for comfort, the only thing it wouldn't feel too much to both of them. "So she was seeing everything different from when we were taking care" Zuko thought.
"Then…this beautiful spirit came to me. Brown skin, blue eyes and long white hair…the moon spirit. She looked at me sadly and urged me to focus on myself again" Suki posed her hand on his, wanting his love for comfort. "I knew who it was, Yue. Yue tried to save me as I purposedly ignored her, instead laying down completely and waiting for my dad to pick me up"
"Your dad is…"
"Dead, yes"
Both stared at each other with mixed feelings: Zuko wasn't sure if he should embrace her for comfort or only keep listening without asking too much, Suki didn't want to give in the growing temptation of hugging him and melting under, as the weight of the words the lady told her heaved in her, even if they were an illusion.
"He surely never gives me crumbs of love, he knows what it feels to not be loved" Suki thought about what the lady had told her. She shook her head trying to ignore those feelings. "Friends can confide in each other too, that's what they are for"
Suki approached him first, leaning in close until they were face to face. She hated feeling needed, feeling loved, at least with Sokka. What she once felt as an equal to him, she now felt it with Zuko. She threw her hands around him, pulling him in a hug. Zuko didn't hesitate and hugged her back, letting out the breath he was holding.
"I am so sorry you had to see that again" Zuko whispered into her ear and hair, his voice low and sympathetic sent a chill on her spine.
"That's not the only thing…my dad was killed by a waterbender" She whispered, her voice breaking at the last part of the sentence, making Zuko put two and two together to understand. His hug tightened as he realized why Suki was suddenly so afraid of Katara and seemed to second thought Sokka a lot: It wasn't the fire nation that ripped the last innocence in her, it was a waterbender.
"Does Sokka know about this?" He instinctively asked, his motivation on seeing her happy with whomever she chose was now his priority. She didn't answer, instead leaned more on him. "Oh Agni…" he said caressing her.
It felt natural to him to comfort her. Seeing her loose her own façade of toughness, made his connection to her deeper. He wanted to be there for her whenever she needed it, whenever she felt he was required.
"Thanks for listening… I feel better" Suki said unsure, still trembling from admitting her dad's dead. "I'm still not sure how I will tell Sokka…I don't blame anyone from the poles really…but it is something that is holding me back. It seems to be the root of my necessity of depend on someone"
"I am glad to help you. I mean it when I say whenever you need it" Zuko pulled her away, cleaning her face. "You will never be alone. You have us, you have your sisters, we are here to help you"
Suki smiled and noticed the closeness in their faces as her eyes wandered from his eyes to his lips. Zuko smiled and blushed noticing her stare and allowing himself to study her as he did earlier under the sun… "The moonlight makes her prettier, how is that possible?" Zuko thought cupping her cheek.
"What are you looking at?" Suki flirted, dangerously placing a finger on her lips. Zuko immediately closed his eyes and breathed.
"You are playing with fire…you are still easy on my eyes" Zuko said opening them, controlling his urge to kiss her.
"Whoops, I thought friends didn't have this type of feelings" She said placing both hands on the sides of his neck and slowly moving them down to his shoulders, slightly pushing him away.
Zuko raised one eyebrow and smirked "Seems that I'm easy on you too, want to relieve some stress?" he winked and made Suki turn red, shying away as he laughed.
Suki couldn't say anything due to the shock of no strings attached sex. Sure, she was stressed and blue, doing some kind of activity would do her some good. "I do want to kiss him thought…Sokka. I will kiss him and feel him thinking of Sokka. He does deserve better"
Zuko's laughter died down and he smiled "I suggested some training but alright, keep blushing, you look cute"
Suki threw him a pillow at the face, making her laugh. She laid down on the bed and felt ready to sleep, stretching all over the bed and kicking him out of it. Zuko laughed at this and threw back the pillow.
"Good night Suki. If you ever need anything, tell me"
These last words made a her heart flutter a bit, as she constantly thought against it before finally sleeping.
Sokka woke up feeling a bit tipsy, his mouth dried up from all the drinks from the night before. He ignored the urge of water and grabbed some buckets to clean himself as today would be an important day for him. The reason they came to the Northern tribe.
The freezing water helped him sober up, washing himself as fast as he could before jumping back on a new pair of warm furs. He learned to have all of his clothes nearby whenever he showered down on his home so as soon as he finished he changed in less than 3 minutes.
With his boomerang he cut some loose hairs on his beard, tying up his hair and flexing some time in front of the mirror.
A frantic knock from the front door signaled him it was time to leave. He looked at himself one last time before breathing heavily. He walked besides the door to grab his own rolls for the conditions and opened the door: There she was, Katara looking annoyed at his tardiness.
"Good morning! Are you done with your makeup? We will run late!" She said dragging him downstairs as Sokka barely held on. He tried not to mess the structure of the paper, as he hated whenever a scroll was all wrinkled.
"Tara slow down! We are on time" He screamed to no avail as Katara slid them through the ice, arriving just in time to wait for the other politicians. Katara's braids were still held in place, Sokka's warrior wolf tail didn't had the same luck, as he annoyingly pushed the scrolls for to her hold while fixing his hair.
"That wouldn't have happened if you woke up earlier" Katara sticked her tongue to him, making him roll his eyes.
The rest of the politicians started to gather, the siblings got serious and greeted them one by one, loosening up when Electra greeted them too.
"We got this, don't worry" Electra whispered to them as she let them enter to the building first. Sokka registered how the room was big and closed, the windows barely visible on the highest part of the walls, where the light entered and reflected on the crystals to illuminate the room.
"The light being registered on a small circumference? Not bad…This creates more colors" He thought sitting down, waiting for the chief to arrive.
"What are you looking at?" Katara asked him, trying to look at the same window he was looking at.
"That part of the wall" he gestured with his finger "If we added a bit of darkness and metals we could create something that replicates images!" He explained excited while Katara only nodded, a bit lost on his creative idea.
"Sure, when we get back to Toph and Aang I'm sure they could help, by the way, they want us back, so don't get too comfortable"
"What? We just arrived, we barely have a day in here"
"It took us months, we literally came here to just finish this business and go do another one with them. Haven't you read the letters?" Katara asked confused, while Sokka nodded.
"Right, after this I will read them. Let's hope we can meet our friends soon" Sokka said dreamily, now Katara rolled her eyes.
"Suki and friends I think you meant"
"That's not…"
"Silence! The chief arrived" Electra shushed them, standing up to greet him. The siblings mimicked her, as Chief Arnook sat on the middle of the table, gesturing for the councilmans to step in the front.
They followed her in a line, standing in front of a big rectangle where they would all hang their petitions. A servant brought the scrolls previously signed by Sokka and Electra in the fire nation, displaying them. Electra coughed, signaling him to start talking.
"Greetings fellow brothers" Sokka awkwardly said, quickly gaining his compusture "I am Sokka, son of the Chief of the Southern water tribe and I'm one of his representants for todays meeting"
"My name is Electra, daughter of the great commander in the North and your current ambassador" Electra said similarly to the first time they chatted: Looking at the room with determination and fierceness.
"And I am Katara, daughter of the Chief Hakoda of the Southern water tribe, the second ambassador" Katara said gently, even smiling, contrasting the method Electra used in their meetings.
"We will discuss the agreements made in the fire nation, who had already been signed and, an additional law for both tribes to cooperate" Sokka introduced the topics pointing to his scroll. "We will start with the medical supplies. It was agreed you will aids us with your remedies including water from the oasis for the extremely ill :In exchange, your people will be looking at how is distributed."
He looked at the room without leaving any room for discussion, immediately passing onto the next topic. "This next scroll is about food. We need supplies, no much left to discuss here honestly"
"And this one is important too, because priorities number two and three are connected" Electra chimmed in, gesturing the already signed scroll displayed. "We will send waterbenders to help reconstruct the city so they can produce and trade more food between us"
The politicians didn't seem happy enough to all the agreements arranged, whispering between each other. Katara looked at the couple worried, while both continued looking unfazed at the table, waiting for their answer.
"What is the payment for us? Is this a type of humanitarian help?" One of the older figures said, his voice firm and ready for a fight.
Electra raised a hand so Sokka wouldn't talk. "Katara will teach them the art of waterbending in it's most powerful point"
Pakku who was in the shadows agreed as soon as her name was attached to the sentence, their new grandpa adored them, specially Katara. Chief Arnook considered it too.
"I think there is more to offer from your tribe. We can finally unite again, be a big country like the earth kingdom or the fire nation"
"What's your name sir? I hadn't had the pleasure to meet you" Sokka said annoyed a this grumpy man who was still postponing something already agreed.
"General Aput" The man said while Electra tensed. Sokka wanted to gulp but managed not to, he knew the type of pressure a father can willingly or unwillingly put on someone.
"Well, if having master classes with one of the original team Avatar member's and savior of the world after reviving the Avatar from the dead isn't enough for you and the northern tribe, it doesn't matter. We already reached an agreement with witnesses" Sokka replied bothered of the tribe still make her sister as less than the man
"I assure you she already knows a lot more than I do" Pakku said to the general, who just crossed his hands.
"What's the last topic you have?" He asked, his tone not changing at all.
"This is one law we would like to reform" Katara now stepped in front, putting on the wall the scroll "We want equality in the teaching of waterbending, no more segregation"
Now the public was talking and shouting at the mere suggestion, most of the words said slurs against the sibling in legal ways. Polite enough to look like a back handed compliment.
"Silence! She hasn't even started explaining" Electra said slapping the board, calming the crowd.
"Thank you Electra. As I was saying, your own laws read as it follows "Waterbending is an personal art which women or men form our tribe might develop as they grow older. As instructed by the elder, as soon as this art is revealed they will trial the child to see their potential as a healer or fighter and then be sent to practice until they master it" suggesting a proper trial on the child before being sent to one of the practice grounds, am I right?"
"Continue please councilman" Aput said, listening to her
"So we should trial all kids on the same exercises: Fighting abilities teaching them basic bending scrolls and healing. Everybody can learn if they are taught properly, and not all people have their bending completely until they are older. One powerful bender, friend of us, discovered he could bend until he was older"
"So Katara" Aput stood up, walking to the front of the table "You are telling me not only we will give resources and powerful bender to your tribe, but also have to view this new law you are trying to make as some kind of beneficial way? Girls are physically weaker than boys, go melee the weakest child and he will still beat you"
"General Aput I suggest you watch the next words you will say" Katara interrupted firmly standing up.
"And still you want to expose the girls of the tribe to see if they can fight when the most helpful place they could be is healing. There is no way we will accept that, that's the reason that law was created. You were an exception, but don't feel too special, as it will lead most of the girls to aspire and fail, dying and leaving us without powerful healers."
"Katara said watch your words sir, if she wanted you would be…"
"What?" Aput looked at Sokka, who was visibly angered "Dead? I doesn't change what I said"
"We are not sending children to war, general Aput" Katara interrupted "We are preparing them as they grow older, to look after themselves and the tribes. The law is clear, the child will be in a trial to see their ability. It has no gender specified. Girls can enter this trial too and it's not an opinion, it's a fact"
The fierceness which Katara defended her law made him stumble back a little bit, loosing to the staring contest they shared.
"We will resume this meeting tomorrow, this last three suggestion are still on revision" Chief Arnook intervened dismissing everyone, leaving the room with Pakku, Sokka, Electra, Katara and Aput.
"Okay people, we need to calm down" Electra grabbed Katara by the hand and tried to made her leave.
"I am calm, I assure you Electra. This general seems more aggressive" She said, still burning him with her eyes.
"I don't like your views Katara, even if you are the most powerful waterbender in the world."
"Think about it, sleep on it" Pakku said "I almost lost my head in a fight against her, and the way it's written makes it completely legal. When we reformed them we didn't foresight this"
Aput grunted and he snapped his fingers while walking outside. Electra groaned, following him.
"See you later" She whispered passing by, leaving the trio alone.
Sokka was fuming, already aggressively pulling down the scrolls on the board.
"Son calm down, this a normal political meeting" Pakku said freezing for a second his hand, as Sokka looked at him.
"They treated Katara as if she was nothing, she is more powerful than anybody here. They should show respect" His sister hand went trough his shoulder in an attempt to calm him.
"It's okay, I knew the reaction to something like this would be. We just need to be resilient and our views will change the future" She smiled at him, Sokka still felt some anger boiled up but decided to bury it.
"Now now, is any of you hungry? You dashed through the whole city I don't think you stopped to eat something" Pakku said pulling Katara as they walked outside.
"Probably the reason Sokka is so mad" She said laughing as Sokka followed them, still upset, outside with the scrolls.
Suki was again bored out of her mind, training and doing her usual forms with more fluidity, thanks to the secret healing sessions she was taking in the buckets of water. Just as weeks before, the day went by and was caught by her friends training, stopping her only to eat dinner together.
"How was your day? I thought the tour had already finished 3 weeks ago" Suki said setting up the table with Aang.
"It was alright, we were mostly looking at some of the constructions here and comparing them to the fire nation to give it that kind of look" He replied happily putting the rice in the center. Suki smiled and placed the dumplings and meat to each side of the rice.
Zuko began serving the tea while Toph waited bored on the table.
"We also agreed on putting on statues of ourselves scattered in the city" Toph said smiling "I already designed mine"
"But we also agreed not all of us would want statues" Zuko said sitting down next to her "I think it's a bit frivolous"
"We deserve it! We helped win a way and build a city from zero." Toph said excited
Suki served her portion and laughed, already picturing Sokka's statue. "I'm sure he will choose his boomerang" she thought sitting down.
"What's funny?" Aang asked looking at her with curiosity.
"Nothing, I thought how ridiculous my paint would look in a statue" She lied, immediately stepping on Toph's foot to shut her.
"Ouch!" Toph said wincing "The meat is burning" She said moving Suki's chair backwards. Suki already thought of it and simply stood up.
"Dramatic much?" Zuko joked eating while Suki served herself more tea
"I mUsT CaPtUre ThE AvAtaR to ResTOre mY HonOor!" Aang mimicked Zuko making all of them laugh
"Jerk!" Zuko said laughing, unable to control his happiness of all of them happy.
"Man, I do miss Katara" Aang said eating his dumplings, looking at the ceiling with love eyes "I can't believe I'm about to marry her"
Toph looked at Suki's direction, remembering the proposal necklace Sokka gave to her. Suki tensed at having Toph's attention, trying to not talk.
"We all knew you would marry" Zuko answered "It was that obvious, we even placed bets on who would get the time right for the wedding. By the way, when will it be?"
Aang thought about it "Well, I gave Katara all the freedom she wanted on planning the wedding. So until I hear back from her, I'm not sure which date we will marry"
"Will you even do a big ceremony? How many people will you have?" Toph asked "I'm sure Katara will want it on her freezing home"
"Is it that cold?" Suki asked, the only one that hadn't gone to the south pole.
"I can't see anything and the foods not that good" Toph said barfing, making Aang laugh.
"I have to agree on that" Aang laughed, remembering the sea prunes dish "But if that makes Katara happy, then it's set"
Suki started fading away from the conversation and into her own thoughts about nuptials…"Sokka and I marrying…being together? Having children? I don't think we would make great parents" She thought and almost choked on her rice "Yeesh, I jumped too far in the future. I will still not see him until 2 months from now"
"Are you alright? I thought you would leave again" Zuko joked
"Yeah, I hadn't properly eaten this day. I don't like sitting alone" Suki admitted, grabbing the attention.
"Really? I wished back home I could eat alone. Dad wouldn't want me to dirt my clothes" Toph said eating
"Yes, eating with my sisters always involved catching up or discussing dumb things like animals or who cooked the food" Suki smiled remembering the early days they took her in. Cooking hadn't really been her forte, so eating alone at her house consisted in rice and water only
"Wow, what about your parents? Did they let you have sleepovers while training?" Aang innocently asked. Zuko gave him a look.
"I can't see, what's happening Sparky and Bombshell?" Toph asked them directly, Suki finished drinking her tea.
"Nothing major. My mom left us when I was four years old and my dad died when I turned eight." Suki answered to Aang with her best poker face "Dad always worked but left pre made food, so I wouldn't starve"
Aang froze and lowered his head "I'm sorry Suki"
"Don't be, you didn't know" Suki bowed back "By the way, did any of you thought of bringing some type of dessert? I am craving sugar a lot and you don't let me go out" Suki complained looking at Zuko
"Of course you would crave sugar, you ate a lot of Jenamite, the epitome of Sugar. I see you already eating with your right hand, maybe you can come with me to buy some supplies" Zuko answered. Toph smirked and Suki saw through her.
"Toph I'm warning you…" She whispered, but Toph ignored her completely
"Is that a date Sparky? Or are you to shy to spell it out loud?" She said laughing, making Zuko blush.
"No! Whatever, Aang, you go out with Suki to buy supplies" Zuko lashed out on the Avatar, while he innocently ate some rice.
"But it was my free day! Don't you think I'll gather more attention?" Aang said whining
"I don't care! Take a costume and put it on, change clothes with Toph or something" Zuko replied picking up his plate and Toph's. Suki helped him with hers and he got away from the table.
"Yeesh, some people can't take a damn joke around here!" Toph called out a him, while Aang giggled finishing his food.
The next day she was up earlier than usual, thinking if she should do or not her make up. She decided to do it, taking a shot on the stillness of her right hand. She knew it would be hard but never thought that hard! She constantly messed up one of the easier parts of her eyes, beginning to frustrate her. "I used to do this in less than fifteen minutes, what in the name"
"I thought we agreed no make up" Zuko said sitting on the bed behind her, with a knife close to his throat.
"Shit Zuko, I could have almost killed you" Suki said relaxing the grip "Don't startle me like that"
"We said no make up, what if they ambush you?" He continued, looking at Suki's half made face.
"The paint is already on, fight me to pull it off or help me finish it" She said sitting in front of the mirror again, filling the red in her left eye first a bit slower than usual.
Zuko opted to look at her hand and how delicate was moving, watching the pencil circle her bright eye.
"Ahem, it is weird" Suki called out, her face serious.
"Can I help? I have never…" Zuko tried reasoning something credible to him. Something that explained he was really interested in the make up and not the girl in it.
"Sure, I'm taking a painful time doing the wing" Suki said extending the brush "I can't talk that much or the paint will crack and I'll look more terrifying."
She gestured with her left hand the silhouette of how the eye was supposed to be. Zuko first did it with his finger, tracing it until Suki greenlight him. After a few tries Suki's thumb finally went up. He coated the brush in dark paint first, before securing her chin with his fingers. They were awfully close again, their warm breaths on each other's faces.
"Don't move" He said with his heart almost jumping out of his body. Suki only looked at him so he could focus on the way the shape should be in her eye, sharp and precise.
His hand moved in the canvas of her eye, guiding itself with a few of the shadows he made with his finger. The mix in colors of her eyes was captivating, he noticed finishing the wing. The blue and the purple in the eye made it a strange but fascinating color, where he could lost himself in.
"Zuko, focus, focus" He frowned and grabbed the brush with some red paint, filling in the last of the red in her eye. Suki instinctively closed her eyes, trusting him as if she was one of her sisters back on Kyoshi island.
Her blush creeped out through the painting, making Zuko blush too. She was still under his gaze and control, they were so close that if he wanted he could kiss her in that moment. A small part of her hoped he would, so the attraction that was excruciatingly building up would die.
Zuko thought the same, stopping his painting and looking at her relaxed face. He lowered his head so their lips would brush against each other, their noses touching too. His hand never left her chin, so pushing her to him was easy and needed. "I missed this" Zuko thought giving in the warmness of her skin, her lips dancing against his as the red paint in them messed their faces.
"Are you finished?" Suki asked, making Zuko come back to his reality, where he still held her face in place and a brush close to her eyelid. Suki opened her eyes to see his red face and golden eyes dazed. She probably knew what was going through his mind, but she had to be strong. "Friends Suki…friends. Replacing him won't be right for either of you. Even if he is a good kisser" She remembered from her encounter.
"YES. Yes I mean" Zuko said getting away from her. Suki looked at the painting in the mirror and finally smiled, a wave of confidence going through her at being again in her traditional painting.
"Thank you Zuko" Suki said stretching her right hand, already in gloves. Zuko shook it, smiling back at seeing her happy.
"Go on, you still need to eat before going out with Aang" He said waling out of the room, the smell of warm tea filling her nostrils.
The interest in him again flared up, similar of how she felt when Sokka was out of the picture for good, or at least she thought.
"Shit" She muttered out loud, her heart skipped a beat whenever Zuko was this close, whenever he showed her how much he cared "You are her friend, he cares. That's all" She touched her neck where Sokka's necklace would be, her stomach sinking and her heart beating faster.
She walked outside the room without hunger and more confused than she was before the trip.
"This can't be true" Sokka thought gripping the letter.
He re read it, deciphering and concentrating in each of the words on it. It had to explain why Suki hadn't sent him a letter with Hawky but he didn't want to believe it. IT meant she was not focused.
It meant she was in danger.
Hi Sokka!
We are only waiting for Katara and you to conclude the big project of the new city on the Earth Kingdom, as you said, Suki was beyond excited. She even smiled when she saw her name on the scroll! The evening was far from peaceful thought, so whenever you or Katara tell me your duties have officially concluded I will go and pick you up.
We were attacked by Ozai's society and Suki had her right hand burnt. Nothing serious as she was quickly healed, but she is now on hold and we are not letting her get even more exposed bodyguarding Zuko.
Of course I know she writes to you, so if you don't get any letter from her is because of that. She doesn't hate you or anything. By the way, I was not supposed to tell you but I know you care, Suki won't let me write for her, Zuko is the one doing it.
We are waiting in the upper ring so we are well fed and treated. Don't worry.
Aang-
He kept shaking at the thought of his friends attacked, of Suki with a low guard being burned, and at Zuko aiding her to write. Of course she wouldn't write to him with Zuko doing it. He saw the other letters waiting for him to open.
He got up not bothering to answer them yet, he would write Suki later, exclusively. That would meant they would get back to the group and he had business here. He put on a heavy coat, his boots and walked outside, not bothering to do his hair.
The moonshine was brighter than he remembered. Sokka knew that meant Yue was looking out for him, not feeling down by it, instead feeling company. He walked towards they met for the first time, the bridge by the canal of the city.
He reclined himself on the border, looking up at the sky. He tried to get his priorities straight, function like a normal human being. "You can't be overprotective of the people you love… she is fine" Sokka thought gulping.
It didn't calm him, nothing would do it until he got to hold her and see her again. But he couldn't extern it anymore, as it would mean he is succumbing to the darkness.
"You would have loved this view" He said to himself.
"Really? I doesn't seem as pretty as you said. And it's cold!" Suki said shrugging, her nose red from the freezing temperatures.
Sokka blinked rapidly and saw no one by his side. He cleaned his eyes and decided to keep walking. Sleep depraving can make you see things. "She is not here yet"
He found his way outside of the city, right were he would walk with Yue. The cave wasn't as lit as it would be with the rays of sun, but the light that shone was still pretty for him. He walked towards it, his cub on his belt under the furs.