(Untitled)

[i_spoiled_it]

The farm gets very quiet late at night. It's nothing like Gotham, but it's not much like Eden, either - it's a farm and it's alive, and there's wind through the fields of crops and insects buzzing around and people talking quietly back inside the farmhouse, and there's electric light spilling out from the windows but it doesn't reach very far.

Comments

[notanoptimist]

With the twins thoroughly tucked in and the damn cat'per story read, Sokka leaves his nieces with their thoroughly relaxed mother and does not (by any means) question her relaxation.

He'd rather walk outside, stretch, and drop his head back to stare at the stars, too.

[i_spoiled_it]

He gets the light jacket in question landing on his head from the low roof of the bunker. It's harder to look at the stars with soft fluffy girly-smelling jacket blocking out his sight.

"Hey, you."

[notanoptimist]

He likes soft fluffy girly-smelling jackets, though. And as such, he continues to stand there for a minute or so with the jacket over his face.

Then he pulls it of and smirks at her over his shoulder.

"Hey," is said, as he walks over to try and climb up with her.

[i_spoiled_it]

Steph leans down to offer him a hand up, grinning. It's obvious her night is incredibly improved by this development.

(How unusual!)

"All finished cat'per-ing?"

[notanoptimist]

Sokka appreciates the hand. Climbing is for losers, obviously.

(and people better at it than he is.)

Sighing deeply at the mention of the book, Sokka rolls his eyes and plops down beside her. "Someone explain to me how they can burn up half the toys I've given them, but that stupid fucking story is still alive."

[i_spoiled_it]

Steph laughs, flopping back on the roof beside him, keeping his hand because it's just the right size to keep hers warm. "I think half the reason they like it is the faces you make when they ask for it," she informs him. "They'll get sick of it when they're fifty."

[notanoptimist]

"In that case, it's Mel's fault, too. She bitches about it way more than I do."

His fingers curl with hers because her hand is too tiny to keep itself warm. Silly Steph! Also, if she's going to flop down like that, Sokka's just going to have to force himself to cuddle her. Terrible.

[i_spoiled_it]

Stars to watch, and summer nights, and Sokka to curl up with and insult lazily. Sure, there's bad stuff, shadows of pain and grief - there's bad stuff everywhere - but it can just stay away from right now, Steph thinks. Right now is doing fine all on its own, thanks.

"Me, too," she admits, grinning. "If I never see that book again it won't be too soon. I'm just glad they like you reading it more than they like me doing it."

[notanoptimist]

"Yeah, it's a good thing you suck or I'd be in real trouble."

Smirk smirk.

Also, kisses because she's curling up. They're necessary.

[i_spoiled_it]

Kiss kiss - bite. "Hey." Steph glares at him, nose-to-nose.

It's a FEROCIOUS glare (that's mostly just happy because he's smirking and teasing and it feels just a little bit more real than he's been all week, and any tiny improvement is worthy of happiness. She misses him.)

"I'm adding that one to the list of things to punch you for at some later time."

[notanoptimist]

"Hey, no, don't do that!"

The list, not the bites. Sokka's okay with bites, as he demonstrates by catching her bottom lip between his teeth.

"I'm about to give you a really big reason to punch me, you can't have any extras."

[i_spoiled_it]

"I need all the reasons I can get," Steph protests, grinning, and kisses the corner of his mouth. "What did you do? Are we gonna get in trouble?"

She doesn't mind the getting in trouble. (Please let it be something tiny and lame that he's overreacting about? she demands of the universe silently.)

[notanoptimist]

Sokka laughs and leans in to kiss her, too - small and quick, but there all the same. Partly by rote, by script, and partly because he still loves her, still wants her.

Not everything has changed.

"No, you're not getting in trouble," he answers, rolling his eyes and still grinning. "Not for this, anyway. I'm just going away for a little while. Mel's going to watch the girls and I'll be back in a few weeks."

[i_spoiled_it]

"Oh."

:(!

Steph thinks about it, hugging him tighter while she does. A few weeks? A few weeks without Sokka? But she needs him!

But ... sometimes it's okay to be the weak one, but sometimes you have to be strong. And she knows him enough to know that leaving his family for a few weeks is something he'd never do unless he really needed the time and space.

Oh God she'll miss him so much :(

"Okay. But you'll come back safe, promise? Where will you go?"

[notanoptimist]

"I can't promise to come back safe," Sokka informs her sadly, shaking his head - and pouting. "I have to come back with at least three broken bones for it to be done right. It's important, Steph."

Then he's knocking her shoulder and smiling again, teasing gently. "Of course I'll come back. I'm going to go north. Lucy says there's a country there that's... kind of like the one I was born in."

[i_spoiled_it]

Steph knocks his shoulder back, making herself smile for him. "That sounds kinda cool. The bit about broken bones, I mean."

NO IT DOESN'T. In case he wondered.

"All snow and ice and stuff? You better make sure you take warm socks." She kisses his shoulder, because it's there. "When are you gonna go?"