![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Title: Someday
Author: nanthimus
Pairing: Sokka/Aang
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Rated: G
Theme: #24, Good Night (For![[insanejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/ij-userinfo.gif)
30_kisses
Word Count: 2887
Notes: GAH! This started out tight and to the point, but the longer it got, the more rambly it went. Still, I like it. YAY FLUFF. I'm writing fluff becausewith any luck there's going to be an onslaught of hot!angry!Zuko/Jet fic. Yay!
Disclaimer: Don't own, not making money, you know the rest.
It’s completely unfair to have a crush on someone who has a crush on your sister, Sokka thought, poking the campfire listlessly. Aang’s attempts to get Katara’s attention were constant and beginning to get really, really annoying.
Not that his attempts weren’t admirable; Aang was proving to be very tenacious when it came to crushes -and yes, that’s all it was because the thought of it being any more made Sokka’s hackles raise- and if it were anyone else, Sokka probably would have found it hilarious. As it was, Sokka was getting fed up.
But he wasn’t mad at Aang, oh no. Katara was a nice enough girl, he guessed, and there wasn’t anything wrong with her. Though Sokka had to admit, the disappointed expression on Aang’s face whenever a plan to get Katara’s attention failed made him want to shake Katara and tell her look, look what you could have! But at the same time, it made him want to take Aang off somewhere and shelter him and protect him and never, ever let him be disappointed again.
And wasn’t that a predictable response on his part? Katara always said that he was overprotective and Sokka guessed it really was true. He couldn’t help it though; he hated to see people he cared about hurt. Physically and emotionally and, unfortunately, it seemed like everyone in the world was out to get Aang. Well, maybe not the world. Just the Fire Nation, and wasn’t that basically the same thing?
Well, I’ll handle it, Sokka thought proudly, I’ll keep doing what I do and protecting him. Them! I meant them! Hearing his subconscious laugh uproariously at that little slip, Sokka stabbed the fire viciously with his stick.
“What’s wrong, Sokka?” A hand fell on his shoulder and he looked up. Katara. “You look kind of...upset,” she said, kneeling down beside him. “Is something wrong?”
“Nah, I’m okay,” he said, turning back to the fire. “I just got some things on my mind, is all.” No just, one thing, his mind corrected and Sokka ignored it. “Where’s Toph and Aang?”
“They’re practicing earthbending,” Katara said, looking into the fire. “They seem to be getting along better, though Toph still bosses him around.”
“Toph bosses everyone around, and it’s really annoying,” Sokka said.
“Really? When I watch her and Aang, it, I don’t know. Seemed kind of sweet,” Katara said, folding her arms on her knees. Sokka turned to her, a horrified expression on his face.
“S-sweet?! How do you mean ‘sweet’. Do you mean like, a brother-sister type sweet or do you mean like something else?” he asked, firing the questions at her like boomerangs. He knew it sounded pretty suspicious to sound so unnerved by what she said, but really. He was just looking at for Aang’s well-being, because it was obvious that Toph would be a slave-driver of a girlfriend. We men have to stick together, Sokka thought.
Katara looked at him with some surprise. “I don’t know, I didn’t really think about it,” she said, shrugging. “They just looked sweet. And Toph was smiling at him.”
Well, that was that. Sokka jumped to his feet. “Where are they?” he demanded and Katara stood up too, looking at him in complete confusion. He couldn’t understand why though; it was obvious that Toph was all wrong for Aang.
“They’re over there,” she said, pointed to the left. “Nothing’s going on though, they’re just practicing!”
“Aha! That’s how it starts,” Sokka said, “but soon they’re dating and then they’re married and then they’re having kids. Kids, Katara, can you imagine those two having kids?”
“I think you’re overreacting, Sokka,” Katara said reasonably. “They’re just kids, themselves.”
“Wha, you, I mean, what?” Sokka sputtered. “So what if they’re just kids?! Kids have feelings too, you know!”
“Okay!” Katara said, grabbing Sokka’s arm to keep him from hurrying off and he really wished she wouldn’t do that because he had to go save Aang. “But why do you care so much? Aang can take care of himself. At least, when it comes to girls.”
Girls. “You know what Katara, you just don’t understand,” Sokka said, twisting his arm from her grasp. “You don’t understand so just stay out if it.”
“I think I understand a lot better that you think,” Katara said, and something in her voice made Sokka pause. Oh, great. He turned to look at her, and she had a very sympathetic smile on her face.
“You…you do?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, I do. Why do you think I haven’t been responding to his flirting?” she asked, and tugged at Sokka’s arm. “C’mon, sit down.” She pulled him over by the fire and sat down and Sokka flopped down on the ground beside her, a growing anger on his face.
“You knew that Aang liked you?” he asked. “You knew and you didn’t do anything? Katara, you…you!” He pointed at her accusingly.
She shrugged. “I know, it was awful of me.” Well, yeah. Those weren’t the words Sokka would have used, but he guessed they’d do.
“Right. So, why?” he asked. “Even though you don’t like him back, you should have said something, anything.” Anything to keep that sad little disappointed expression off of Aang’s face and God, Sokka knew he would have to get over that sometime.
Katara arched one eyebrow. “What makes you think I don’t like him like that?” she asked, and Sokka faltered.
“You…you do, then?” he asked, all his half-hopes and little dreams bursting in his head. “So, ah. Well, that’s…that’s good. Aang will be happy. So, uhm. When are you going to tell him?”
Katara smirked, but the expression was a kind one. “Sokka. You’re not nearly as secretive as you pretend to be? I know you like him. Toph knows you like him.”
“What?! How does she knows, she’s blind!” Sokka exclaimed, hands on the sides of his head. “I mean…wait.” He continued in a hushed voice. “Does…does Aang know?”
Katara shook her head. “I don’t think so,” she said. “For all the attention he can give his crushes -and yes, Sokka, that’s all he has for me - he’s completely oblivious to any that are sent in his direction.”
Sokka heaved a heavy sigh and looked into the fire. “Well. Well.” He didn’t really know what else to say. He’d never liked a guy before. Well, there was that one boy in their village, but they were seven. Seven! That couldn’t have counted.
Katara put a hand on his shoulder. “Sokka, don’t feel…well, bad,” she said. “I really don’t blame you, you know? For liking Aang. He’s a very likeable person.” She laughed. “Everyone likes him a little.”
Oh really. “Well, thanks Katara but I gotta go,” Sokka said, jumping to his feet and marching in the direction she’d pointed out before.
“Sokka? What’re you going to do?!” Katara called out.
“I’m getting Aang. If what you said is true, then that means Toph likes Aang and that couple right there just can’t have a chance to happen,” he said as he disappeared into the darkness of the nearby trees.
Katara watched him as he left before folding her hands on her knees and resting her chin on them. Sokka, it‘s about time, she thought fondly.
****
Not Toph, Sokka thought as he hurried through the woods, steeping over fallen tree trunks and ducking under low limps. Katara’s okay, I can deal with that. But Toph? No way. No. Way. He liked the blind earthbender enough -well, like was a strong word, really- but her and Aang? That was not a good match, no way.
He could hear the sounds of rocks crashing together up ahead and he picked up his pace, nearly running in the dark forest. He knew they weren’t very far away from the campsite, but it seemed like it was taking forever to get to them. Finally, he came to the clearing that Toph and Aang were practicing in.
“C’mon, Aang, hurry up!” Toph ordered. “You can do this, I know it.” She stood with her hands on her waist, blank eyes looking down at the ground as she concentrated on what Aang was doing.
Sokka looked over at Aang, who punch the ground again. He wasn’t sure what was suppose to be happening until he saw the ground beneath Toph jump a bit. Ah, he suppose to…be making a pillar type thing under Toph? Sokka thought, raising an eyebrow.
“C’mon, you can do better than that!” Toph yelled, stamping her foot. “Try it again!”
Aang paused for a bit, fist to the ground and head bowed. Then he pulled his arm back. “Okay!” he yelled before slamming his fist back to the ground and Toph was sent flying high in the air, the pillar of earth under her finally something strong and powerful.
“Yes!” she cried, jumping off. “You did it, finally!”
“Yeah,” Aang said with a goofy grin and boy, did Sokka hate that he leveled that grin at Toph - “but look. I think I need to wash off my hands.” He didn’t bother holding them out for Aang but Sokka could see from where he was stand. Blood.
Alright, that was enough. “Okay,” he said, stepping out into the clearly. Both Aang and Toph turned at his voice and Aang grinned.
“Sokka! Sokka, did you see that?” Aang said, gesturing towards Toph and the pillar. “Look, I did that! Isn’t it great?”
“Yeah,” Sokka said, sparing the girl and the earth a glance. “Look, Aang, look at your hands!” He grabbed one of Aang’s wrist and examined his hand. Blood oozed from the knuckles and dripped off and Sokka grimaced. “We need to get this cleaned up,” he said.
Toph crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re awfully concerned about some flesh wounds,” she said, and when Sokka looked over at her, Toph was smirking. Sokka flashed back on the conversation he and Katara had had earlier. Oh great, he though and flushed. Unfortunately, Aang noticed.
“Sokka?” he asked, looked up at him. “Are you okay? You look kind of red.”
Toph snorted and Sokka shook his head, tugging at Aang. “I’m fine,” he said, glaring at Toph. “C’mon, there’s a river just over here.” He lead the way towards the river, glancing over his shoulder at Toph. She was grinning.
“I’ll just go back to camp then,” she called out.
"Yeah, yeah,” Sokka muttered, dodging out strung tree limbs. His grip on Aang’s wrist didn’t loosen until Aang said something about it.
“Sokka, that kind of hurts,” Aang said, attempting to pull his wrist out of Sokka’s grasp unsuccessfully.
Sokka let go. “Sorry,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “C’mon, it’s just over here.” Together they walked through the forest towards the river.
When they made it to the river, Aang ran forward and knelt in the water. “Wow, it’s cold,” he said, sinking his hands into the water. “Ouch!”
Sokka knelt beside him. “Here, give them to me,” he said, taking Aang’s hands. Oh man. He started rubbing the dirt off Aang’s hands. I think I just realized a problem in my plan. He concentrated on the small hands he cleaned and not on who they belonged to. Well, he tried. It was kind of difficult when Aang started talking.
“Hey, you’re pretty good at that,” Aang said, and Sokka shrugged, a small grin on his face at the praise. “Did Katara teach you?”
“Well, sorta,” Sokka said, “but I really just watched at she healed us. Just because I don’t have the power doesn’t mean the techniques are useless to me.” He was actually done cleaning off the blood and dirt from Aang’s hands, but he didn’t let go. Hey, may as well enjoy it while I have it, he thought.
“But I thought you wanted to be a great warrior,” Aang said, cocking his head to one side.
“Well,” Sokka said, “being a warrior doesn’t mean I can’t learn how to help heal. I mean, being able to fight is great and all, but it’s pretty useless to fight and not be able to take care of myself if I have a wound.”
Aang blinked and leaned closer. “But, Sokka, Katara, Toph, and I will be there with you,” he said. “So, you know, you don’t have to worry about taking care of yourself all the time. We’ll protect you.”
Sokka waved his hand. “Yeah, right now,” he said. “But Katara will someday want to get married” -hopefully not to you - “and Toph will probably start going to earthbending tournaments or whatever she wants to do and you’ll be off doing Avatar stuff.” He shrugged and let go of Aang’s hand. “Someday I will be alone and will have to take care of myself.”
“No way!” Aang grabbed Sokka’s hand back in both of his and Sokka looked down at him, surprised. “No way, Sokka! If, if all that really does happen, I won’t leave you.” He grinned. “We gotta stick together, right?”
What? “What? You…really mean that?” Sokka said. “I mean, what about Katara? Won’t you be busy trying to get her?” In his head, Sokka was screaming at himself to shut up but he never was one to listen to his thoughts at times like this and really, he had to know.
Aang blinked and his face reddened. “Aw, well,” he said, kicking the dirt, “I don’t think Katara likes me like that. Besides, Toph said it was just a crush and that I’d get over it.” He raised his eyebrows. “But if it really is just a crush, I hate to see what love feels like.”
Normally, Sokka would have agreed with him but at that moment, love was feeling pretty darn good.
“So! You don’t have to worry about taking care of yourself all the time, because I’ll be right there with you,” Aang said, letting go of Sokka’s hand.
Sokka looked at his hand for a moment before reaching out curling his arms around Aang’s shoulders. “Thanks, Aang,” he said, voice muffled against his shoulder. “I really…I mean, just thanks.” He could feel thin little arms wrap around his waist.
“No problem,” he heard Aang say before the younger boy pulled away. “Now, let’s get back to the camp,” he said, “I’m going to have a good night of sleep tonight. Toph really did a number on me.” He rubbed his shoulder and winced for emphasis. “I’m tired.”
“Yeah, me too,” Sokka said, though he was feeling nothing of the sort. He was actually wide awake but he didn’t really want to explain why to Aang. “Let’s get going.”
When they made it back to the campsite, Sokka saw Katara and Toph sitting beside the campfire whispering to each other. They both looked in his and Aang’s direction with suspicious, silly little grins on their faces.
Sokka thought back to what Katara had said and sighed heavily. So, they both know, huh? he thought, they’d better not say anything! I’ll tell him when I’m ready! And he would be ready. Soon…ish.
Aang stretched his arms up high and stretched, yawning. “Well, I’m going to go to sleep,” he said, waving to the girls. “Good night, you guys.”
“Good night, Aang,” Katara said, and Toph nodded to him.
Aang grinned at Sokka and walked over to Appa. As he stretched out his sleeping blanket, Sokka walked over to Katara and Toph. When Toph opened her mouth, Sokka shushed her.
“Not a word, you two,” he said, pointing at them. “I don’t want to hear it.” They glanced at each other and laughed and Sokka raised an eyebrow. Wow. He shook his head. They must have gotten into some cactus juice. He shrugged and started walking over to Appa, determined to go to sleep.
“Where are you going?” Katara asked, eyebrows raised. “Aren’t you going to sit with us?”
Sokka looked over his shoulder at her. “Hmm, let me think,” he said, putting one hand on his chin. “Either go sleep beside Aang or get interrogated by you two,” he tapped his finger on his chin for a moment before rolling his eyes. “Yeah, like that’s a hard decision.” He waved at the two girls. “Good night.”
Toph crossed her arms over her chest and Katara pointed at Sokka. “You will talk to us about this,” she said threateningly. Sokka gave a backwards wave as he made it over to Appa. Grabbing his pack, he spread out his sleeping blanket beside Aang and sat down on it. Aang rolled over and looked at him and Sokka gulped noisily. Oh, great. Am I going to start getting nervous and jittery when he looks at me?! Calm down, Sokka, he scolded himself.
“Good night, Sokka,” Aang said, head pillowed on his arms and Sokka smiled.
“Good night,” he said, and Aang rolled back over on his back, eyes closing. Sokka could tell that he’d fallen asleep almost instantly. Wow. You could go to sleep anywhere, he thought, shaking his head fondly before laying down on his sleeping blanket. He stared up at the stars for a moment, thoughts scattering over the evening’s events.
He’ll be right there with me, huh? he thought before looking over at Aang. Yeah. That’ll be enough for now.
Author: nanthimus
Pairing: Sokka/Aang
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Rated: G
Theme: #24, Good Night (For
30_kissesWord Count: 2887
Notes: GAH! This started out tight and to the point, but the longer it got, the more rambly it went. Still, I like it. YAY FLUFF. I'm writing fluff because
Disclaimer: Don't own, not making money, you know the rest.
It’s completely unfair to have a crush on someone who has a crush on your sister, Sokka thought, poking the campfire listlessly. Aang’s attempts to get Katara’s attention were constant and beginning to get really, really annoying.
Not that his attempts weren’t admirable; Aang was proving to be very tenacious when it came to crushes -and yes, that’s all it was because the thought of it being any more made Sokka’s hackles raise- and if it were anyone else, Sokka probably would have found it hilarious. As it was, Sokka was getting fed up.
But he wasn’t mad at Aang, oh no. Katara was a nice enough girl, he guessed, and there wasn’t anything wrong with her. Though Sokka had to admit, the disappointed expression on Aang’s face whenever a plan to get Katara’s attention failed made him want to shake Katara and tell her look, look what you could have! But at the same time, it made him want to take Aang off somewhere and shelter him and protect him and never, ever let him be disappointed again.
And wasn’t that a predictable response on his part? Katara always said that he was overprotective and Sokka guessed it really was true. He couldn’t help it though; he hated to see people he cared about hurt. Physically and emotionally and, unfortunately, it seemed like everyone in the world was out to get Aang. Well, maybe not the world. Just the Fire Nation, and wasn’t that basically the same thing?
Well, I’ll handle it, Sokka thought proudly, I’ll keep doing what I do and protecting him. Them! I meant them! Hearing his subconscious laugh uproariously at that little slip, Sokka stabbed the fire viciously with his stick.
“What’s wrong, Sokka?” A hand fell on his shoulder and he looked up. Katara. “You look kind of...upset,” she said, kneeling down beside him. “Is something wrong?”
“Nah, I’m okay,” he said, turning back to the fire. “I just got some things on my mind, is all.” No just, one thing, his mind corrected and Sokka ignored it. “Where’s Toph and Aang?”
“They’re practicing earthbending,” Katara said, looking into the fire. “They seem to be getting along better, though Toph still bosses him around.”
“Toph bosses everyone around, and it’s really annoying,” Sokka said.
“Really? When I watch her and Aang, it, I don’t know. Seemed kind of sweet,” Katara said, folding her arms on her knees. Sokka turned to her, a horrified expression on his face.
“S-sweet?! How do you mean ‘sweet’. Do you mean like, a brother-sister type sweet or do you mean like something else?” he asked, firing the questions at her like boomerangs. He knew it sounded pretty suspicious to sound so unnerved by what she said, but really. He was just looking at for Aang’s well-being, because it was obvious that Toph would be a slave-driver of a girlfriend. We men have to stick together, Sokka thought.
Katara looked at him with some surprise. “I don’t know, I didn’t really think about it,” she said, shrugging. “They just looked sweet. And Toph was smiling at him.”
Well, that was that. Sokka jumped to his feet. “Where are they?” he demanded and Katara stood up too, looking at him in complete confusion. He couldn’t understand why though; it was obvious that Toph was all wrong for Aang.
“They’re over there,” she said, pointed to the left. “Nothing’s going on though, they’re just practicing!”
“Aha! That’s how it starts,” Sokka said, “but soon they’re dating and then they’re married and then they’re having kids. Kids, Katara, can you imagine those two having kids?”
“I think you’re overreacting, Sokka,” Katara said reasonably. “They’re just kids, themselves.”
“Wha, you, I mean, what?” Sokka sputtered. “So what if they’re just kids?! Kids have feelings too, you know!”
“Okay!” Katara said, grabbing Sokka’s arm to keep him from hurrying off and he really wished she wouldn’t do that because he had to go save Aang. “But why do you care so much? Aang can take care of himself. At least, when it comes to girls.”
Girls. “You know what Katara, you just don’t understand,” Sokka said, twisting his arm from her grasp. “You don’t understand so just stay out if it.”
“I think I understand a lot better that you think,” Katara said, and something in her voice made Sokka pause. Oh, great. He turned to look at her, and she had a very sympathetic smile on her face.
“You…you do?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, I do. Why do you think I haven’t been responding to his flirting?” she asked, and tugged at Sokka’s arm. “C’mon, sit down.” She pulled him over by the fire and sat down and Sokka flopped down on the ground beside her, a growing anger on his face.
“You knew that Aang liked you?” he asked. “You knew and you didn’t do anything? Katara, you…you!” He pointed at her accusingly.
She shrugged. “I know, it was awful of me.” Well, yeah. Those weren’t the words Sokka would have used, but he guessed they’d do.
“Right. So, why?” he asked. “Even though you don’t like him back, you should have said something, anything.” Anything to keep that sad little disappointed expression off of Aang’s face and God, Sokka knew he would have to get over that sometime.
Katara arched one eyebrow. “What makes you think I don’t like him like that?” she asked, and Sokka faltered.
“You…you do, then?” he asked, all his half-hopes and little dreams bursting in his head. “So, ah. Well, that’s…that’s good. Aang will be happy. So, uhm. When are you going to tell him?”
Katara smirked, but the expression was a kind one. “Sokka. You’re not nearly as secretive as you pretend to be? I know you like him. Toph knows you like him.”
“What?! How does she knows, she’s blind!” Sokka exclaimed, hands on the sides of his head. “I mean…wait.” He continued in a hushed voice. “Does…does Aang know?”
Katara shook her head. “I don’t think so,” she said. “For all the attention he can give his crushes -and yes, Sokka, that’s all he has for me - he’s completely oblivious to any that are sent in his direction.”
Sokka heaved a heavy sigh and looked into the fire. “Well. Well.” He didn’t really know what else to say. He’d never liked a guy before. Well, there was that one boy in their village, but they were seven. Seven! That couldn’t have counted.
Katara put a hand on his shoulder. “Sokka, don’t feel…well, bad,” she said. “I really don’t blame you, you know? For liking Aang. He’s a very likeable person.” She laughed. “Everyone likes him a little.”
Oh really. “Well, thanks Katara but I gotta go,” Sokka said, jumping to his feet and marching in the direction she’d pointed out before.
“Sokka? What’re you going to do?!” Katara called out.
“I’m getting Aang. If what you said is true, then that means Toph likes Aang and that couple right there just can’t have a chance to happen,” he said as he disappeared into the darkness of the nearby trees.
Katara watched him as he left before folding her hands on her knees and resting her chin on them. Sokka, it‘s about time, she thought fondly.
****
Not Toph, Sokka thought as he hurried through the woods, steeping over fallen tree trunks and ducking under low limps. Katara’s okay, I can deal with that. But Toph? No way. No. Way. He liked the blind earthbender enough -well, like was a strong word, really- but her and Aang? That was not a good match, no way.
He could hear the sounds of rocks crashing together up ahead and he picked up his pace, nearly running in the dark forest. He knew they weren’t very far away from the campsite, but it seemed like it was taking forever to get to them. Finally, he came to the clearing that Toph and Aang were practicing in.
“C’mon, Aang, hurry up!” Toph ordered. “You can do this, I know it.” She stood with her hands on her waist, blank eyes looking down at the ground as she concentrated on what Aang was doing.
Sokka looked over at Aang, who punch the ground again. He wasn’t sure what was suppose to be happening until he saw the ground beneath Toph jump a bit. Ah, he suppose to…be making a pillar type thing under Toph? Sokka thought, raising an eyebrow.
“C’mon, you can do better than that!” Toph yelled, stamping her foot. “Try it again!”
Aang paused for a bit, fist to the ground and head bowed. Then he pulled his arm back. “Okay!” he yelled before slamming his fist back to the ground and Toph was sent flying high in the air, the pillar of earth under her finally something strong and powerful.
“Yes!” she cried, jumping off. “You did it, finally!”
“Yeah,” Aang said with a goofy grin and boy, did Sokka hate that he leveled that grin at Toph - “but look. I think I need to wash off my hands.” He didn’t bother holding them out for Aang but Sokka could see from where he was stand. Blood.
Alright, that was enough. “Okay,” he said, stepping out into the clearly. Both Aang and Toph turned at his voice and Aang grinned.
“Sokka! Sokka, did you see that?” Aang said, gesturing towards Toph and the pillar. “Look, I did that! Isn’t it great?”
“Yeah,” Sokka said, sparing the girl and the earth a glance. “Look, Aang, look at your hands!” He grabbed one of Aang’s wrist and examined his hand. Blood oozed from the knuckles and dripped off and Sokka grimaced. “We need to get this cleaned up,” he said.
Toph crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re awfully concerned about some flesh wounds,” she said, and when Sokka looked over at her, Toph was smirking. Sokka flashed back on the conversation he and Katara had had earlier. Oh great, he though and flushed. Unfortunately, Aang noticed.
“Sokka?” he asked, looked up at him. “Are you okay? You look kind of red.”
Toph snorted and Sokka shook his head, tugging at Aang. “I’m fine,” he said, glaring at Toph. “C’mon, there’s a river just over here.” He lead the way towards the river, glancing over his shoulder at Toph. She was grinning.
“I’ll just go back to camp then,” she called out.
"Yeah, yeah,” Sokka muttered, dodging out strung tree limbs. His grip on Aang’s wrist didn’t loosen until Aang said something about it.
“Sokka, that kind of hurts,” Aang said, attempting to pull his wrist out of Sokka’s grasp unsuccessfully.
Sokka let go. “Sorry,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “C’mon, it’s just over here.” Together they walked through the forest towards the river.
When they made it to the river, Aang ran forward and knelt in the water. “Wow, it’s cold,” he said, sinking his hands into the water. “Ouch!”
Sokka knelt beside him. “Here, give them to me,” he said, taking Aang’s hands. Oh man. He started rubbing the dirt off Aang’s hands. I think I just realized a problem in my plan. He concentrated on the small hands he cleaned and not on who they belonged to. Well, he tried. It was kind of difficult when Aang started talking.
“Hey, you’re pretty good at that,” Aang said, and Sokka shrugged, a small grin on his face at the praise. “Did Katara teach you?”
“Well, sorta,” Sokka said, “but I really just watched at she healed us. Just because I don’t have the power doesn’t mean the techniques are useless to me.” He was actually done cleaning off the blood and dirt from Aang’s hands, but he didn’t let go. Hey, may as well enjoy it while I have it, he thought.
“But I thought you wanted to be a great warrior,” Aang said, cocking his head to one side.
“Well,” Sokka said, “being a warrior doesn’t mean I can’t learn how to help heal. I mean, being able to fight is great and all, but it’s pretty useless to fight and not be able to take care of myself if I have a wound.”
Aang blinked and leaned closer. “But, Sokka, Katara, Toph, and I will be there with you,” he said. “So, you know, you don’t have to worry about taking care of yourself all the time. We’ll protect you.”
Sokka waved his hand. “Yeah, right now,” he said. “But Katara will someday want to get married” -hopefully not to you - “and Toph will probably start going to earthbending tournaments or whatever she wants to do and you’ll be off doing Avatar stuff.” He shrugged and let go of Aang’s hand. “Someday I will be alone and will have to take care of myself.”
“No way!” Aang grabbed Sokka’s hand back in both of his and Sokka looked down at him, surprised. “No way, Sokka! If, if all that really does happen, I won’t leave you.” He grinned. “We gotta stick together, right?”
What? “What? You…really mean that?” Sokka said. “I mean, what about Katara? Won’t you be busy trying to get her?” In his head, Sokka was screaming at himself to shut up but he never was one to listen to his thoughts at times like this and really, he had to know.
Aang blinked and his face reddened. “Aw, well,” he said, kicking the dirt, “I don’t think Katara likes me like that. Besides, Toph said it was just a crush and that I’d get over it.” He raised his eyebrows. “But if it really is just a crush, I hate to see what love feels like.”
Normally, Sokka would have agreed with him but at that moment, love was feeling pretty darn good.
“So! You don’t have to worry about taking care of yourself all the time, because I’ll be right there with you,” Aang said, letting go of Sokka’s hand.
Sokka looked at his hand for a moment before reaching out curling his arms around Aang’s shoulders. “Thanks, Aang,” he said, voice muffled against his shoulder. “I really…I mean, just thanks.” He could feel thin little arms wrap around his waist.
“No problem,” he heard Aang say before the younger boy pulled away. “Now, let’s get back to the camp,” he said, “I’m going to have a good night of sleep tonight. Toph really did a number on me.” He rubbed his shoulder and winced for emphasis. “I’m tired.”
“Yeah, me too,” Sokka said, though he was feeling nothing of the sort. He was actually wide awake but he didn’t really want to explain why to Aang. “Let’s get going.”
When they made it back to the campsite, Sokka saw Katara and Toph sitting beside the campfire whispering to each other. They both looked in his and Aang’s direction with suspicious, silly little grins on their faces.
Sokka thought back to what Katara had said and sighed heavily. So, they both know, huh? he thought, they’d better not say anything! I’ll tell him when I’m ready! And he would be ready. Soon…ish.
Aang stretched his arms up high and stretched, yawning. “Well, I’m going to go to sleep,” he said, waving to the girls. “Good night, you guys.”
“Good night, Aang,” Katara said, and Toph nodded to him.
Aang grinned at Sokka and walked over to Appa. As he stretched out his sleeping blanket, Sokka walked over to Katara and Toph. When Toph opened her mouth, Sokka shushed her.
“Not a word, you two,” he said, pointing at them. “I don’t want to hear it.” They glanced at each other and laughed and Sokka raised an eyebrow. Wow. He shook his head. They must have gotten into some cactus juice. He shrugged and started walking over to Appa, determined to go to sleep.
“Where are you going?” Katara asked, eyebrows raised. “Aren’t you going to sit with us?”
Sokka looked over his shoulder at her. “Hmm, let me think,” he said, putting one hand on his chin. “Either go sleep beside Aang or get interrogated by you two,” he tapped his finger on his chin for a moment before rolling his eyes. “Yeah, like that’s a hard decision.” He waved at the two girls. “Good night.”
Toph crossed her arms over her chest and Katara pointed at Sokka. “You will talk to us about this,” she said threateningly. Sokka gave a backwards wave as he made it over to Appa. Grabbing his pack, he spread out his sleeping blanket beside Aang and sat down on it. Aang rolled over and looked at him and Sokka gulped noisily. Oh, great. Am I going to start getting nervous and jittery when he looks at me?! Calm down, Sokka, he scolded himself.
“Good night, Sokka,” Aang said, head pillowed on his arms and Sokka smiled.
“Good night,” he said, and Aang rolled back over on his back, eyes closing. Sokka could tell that he’d fallen asleep almost instantly. Wow. You could go to sleep anywhere, he thought, shaking his head fondly before laying down on his sleeping blanket. He stared up at the stars for a moment, thoughts scattering over the evening’s events.
He’ll be right there with me, huh? he thought before looking over at Aang. Yeah. That’ll be enough for now.