16. Matters of the Heart [offline] [backdated]

[angle_on_it]

[Returning from his meeting with Jet, Sokka stops at #4 Queen Anne's Row in hopes of catching his sister before she can slip away under the cover of broad daylight.]

[He enters the house with no pretense, immediately calling through the very empty rooms instead of seeking her out.]

Katara, I'm home! Are you still here?

Comments

[kyasdaughter]

[And Katara slips in from the next room, nursing a cup of water and giving Sokka a sour look.]

Do you have to shout?

[kyasdaughter]

.. so what if I did that? What if I said, I wanted to be with him -

[Katara leans her head on Sokka's shoulder, staring at the wall.]

Do you think Aang could ever forgive me if he came back and found out?

[angle_on_it]

It's Aang: Forgiveness is kind of his thing.

[He leans his head atop hers and closes his eyes.] If you want my opinion, and I'm sure you do, I think you should wait. A day, a week, as long as you can, and then look back. With a little time, you might find you were driven together more by circumstances than actual feelings.

[kyasdaughter]

[She closes her eyes, comfortable. It's been a long time since she's let herself rely on Sokka like this. It's - nice.]

What happens if I wait, and wait, and wait, and decide, and deliberate - and it's too late? [But it's quiet, rhetorical.] I love you, Sokka.

[angle_on_it]

[He takes a deep breath.] I love you, too. Just remember: It's never too late -- or have you forgotten Gran Gran and Granpakku? [Sokka chuckles and it's a lot lighter than it's been in a while. He's misses his sister and being apart just doesn't feel right.]

[kyasdaughter]

[Neither one of them died, she wants to argue -- but she doesn't, because she understands what Sokka is saying. She sighs dramatically.]

I guess so. Can I just kill whoever it was that spiked the punch?

[angle_on_it]

You could.

...or you could leave it to your big brother. I hear he's a bit of a trouble maker, anyway.

[kyasdaughter]

Whatever. I'm totally tougher than you are.

[She leans against his side, shutting her eyes.]

[angle_on_it]

Sure, you say that, but who's leaning on who here? [He chuckles lightly and kisses the top of her head.] It'll be okay, Katara. Just give it a little time.

[kyasdaughter]

Time.

[A low sigh, but she's not moving. Sokka, you make a good pillow.]

That's the one thing we don't really have here, huh.

[angle_on_it]

Actually, if you think about it, ever second we have here is a second someone back home doesn't have. The longer we're here, the longer we'll live, right? And when we finally go back home, we'll have our whole lives ahead of us again. [He snorts lightly.] Not sure it's much of a bright side since the thought of spending a whole life under these circumstances really sucks, but it's something.