markofthewise | Sokka the 57th

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Sokka the 57th - [Action/Voice]

[Sokka has some messages to knock out of the way. He doesn't bother with a filter for the first one, mainly because he feels like being somewhat of a jerk and making light of Haruhi's ridiculous relationship with her 'minions'. In spite of that, Sokka's tone is pretty flat. There's no excitement here and it's pretty obvious through the message something is bothering him.]

Hey Haruhi, feel free to send Naoki over. He can do his thing now. [Oh wait...] Uh, after Leon takes a look over it, I guess.

[Wonder Woman // Locked]

Uh, hey Diana. Can I ask a favor?

[This last one he almost backs out of doing. But it's been a few days now and things haven't changed. Maybe this will help.]

[Filtered from Housemates (and Haruhi as an afterthought)]

So... hypothetically speaking, how do you make up it up to someone you really care about for something that really hurt them when what you did... there was nothing you could do about it?

[With things so awkward at home with Suki, Sokka has been spending less time there. It's hard to spend time with your girlfriend when she's still upset with you, but being polite about it. So this leaves him working at the smithy for longer hours, actually doing homework at the library, and once more taking part in his neverending quest to find a hat that really says Sokka to him. Through all this, he is accompanied by a certain cheeky lemur hanging around on top of his head, shoulder, or getting into things he shouldn't.

He will, at least, drag himself home for dinner. Delicious, awkward dinner.]

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[Sokka has enough advice about how to deal with this he could write a book. Too bad he forgets it all when Suki suddenly speaks up and steals his lemur.]

Well, he seemed lonely. [Or maybe he was projecting on Momo. Either way, he was good company.]

[Suki holds him there for a moment, but Momo isn't as used to her as the rest of them, so after a moment she sets him loose, letting him soar off to find something to nibble on before dinner.

...That leaves Sokka.

Right. Here goes.]

I'm... I'm ready, if you want to talk.

[His eyes follow Momo until he's out of sight, leaving him then with no distractions. That leaves him with Suki. He opens his mouth to say something, but not knowing what to say, he nods.]

Uh... yeah, I'm ready too.

[Considering she's the one who said she needed some time, she figures she'll be the one who needs to speak up first. She gestures towards her room, leading the way herself. She doesn't want to talk there in the hallway when anyone could just walk in on them.]

[He falls into step behind her, trying to remember everything everyone suggested. Flowers was one of them. Seeing as how he thought he'd need to wait longer, he hadn't exactly picked up flowers. As he walks past his room, he glances over to where Hawky is perched in there. If only he could signal "Fetch flowers!", but not even frantic eyebrow waggling is enough to catch the bird's attention.

He'll just fall solemn again once they reach her room, with him closing the door behind him. For now he remains standing, in front of the door. He's not going to invite himself in any further than that without her permission.]

[Permission is given- Suki sits down on the bed, quiet and awkward for a moment before she pats the spot beside her.]

...It's okay. Come sit down.

[Well that's something. He's already feeling better about this, but even as he sits down, he feels compelled to apologize.]

Suki, I'm really sorry. I... I should have found a way to have avoided all of this and what happened. [There it is. He's accepting all the blame. He's not justifying it. Just how it's supposed to be.]

[...Oh, Sokka. He's just itching to please now, isn't he? She can't help but feel a little bad for making him so nervous.]

Avoiding it... would have meant that you didn't feel that way, wouldn't it?

[Well actually he meant just staying at home and maybe going blindfolded. Even if it is ridiculous and impractical. But her question throws him off of clarifying that bit.]

Didn't feel what way?

[God, Sokka, are you really going to make her say it.]

...What was the whole point of the experiment, Sokka?

[It... oh. Oh. He gets it now. So... that was what this was all about after all, huh?]

Oh... oh! That. [He thinks back to what she was saying.] I... no, I couldn't have avoided that part.

[....Shift. Shift. Ahhhh so awkward. She wishes it hadn't come to this, but... well, it is how it is. May as well come out and say it.]

I think... I figured out what upset me so much. I wasn't angry with you for changing into me... though maybe that was part of it. I was upset because... [Ugh, just. Out with it.] ...I'd never heard it from you before. How... you really felt.

[He'd come to that conclusion earlier that day. A suspicion that maybe this was what it was all about. He was, admittedly, surprised to see he was right. In a way, he'd hoped he would be wrong. Because the realization he'd never actually said how he felt was a humbling one. After all, this was the girl he wanted to marry. He was carving her a necklace, after all. It was in the next room, in a box under his bed. All this time, he had just assumed she knew. More than that, he had assumed the reverse was true.

But somehow just saying it now seemed emptier. The Malnosso had robbed him of the chance to make it special. To make it mean something. He found himself staring at the floor instead.]

Well... I see. [He stumbles over what he should be saying now.] They weren't wrong. [The Malnosso, that is. At least, not wrong about how he felt. Not about what they did.]

[...And she knew that already, but to hear him say it- that much, at least- is a relief. She's quiet for a moment, pondering over that, until the musters the courage to continue.]

I talked to Katara. She reminded me that you've said it before... with how you act around me.

[There's that moment of awkward as his sister comes up. The part that worries about his little sister being a brat and doing something to wreck everything. An unfounded fear in this case, as it usually is in serious situations like this. It does, however, force him to look back up at her.]

I guess that's true. But I should say it. And really mean it.

If that's how you feel about it... I wouldn't mind hearing it.

[Even if it might feel cheapened after what had happened... that doesn't mean it definitely will. And if they took away that experience, that doesn't mean they can take away how they feel.]

[He swallows hard. This is something he can't screw up. And it has to really mean something. Maybe it would mean more if he had planned something ahead. Or perhaps it's better if it comes from the heart.

... but it's not the heart he's worried about. It's the mouth that the words come out of he's concerned with. He takes a deep breath and shifts his position on the bed, folding on leg underneath and leaving one hanging off the bed, so he's facing her completely.]

Suki. [He freezes at that, for the moment. He collects himself and continues.]

I- we, what I mean is- [He inwardly winces, knowing he's already blown it. Dammit, Sokka. Why do you have to ruin stuff like this? He could practically hit himself.]

[Okay, no. He's not going to ruin this. Not this time. He swallows and just reminds himself that this is Suki. He doesn't have to be anyone other than himself around her. No need to be bold, heroic, or leaderly. Just himself.

So what he does is grins instead.]

I do love you. And not just now, either - for a long time now. And that... well, I don't think it's going to change anytime soon.

[She hadn't really been sure how she would react when he said it- or if he'd really manage to say it at all. And now that she's heard it - in such a Sokka way, clumsy and stammering and silly and then so sincere...

Really, there's only one thing she can do:

Laugh.]

[...Oh, and one more thing.]

[He is totally down with that. He's been missing this for a long time, so he's not going anywhere just yet. So all he's going to do is take in the moment until she breaks it off.]

[It's not as long as one of their usual kisses- it was meant for reassurance and thanks, rather than a usual enthused make-out. She does remain close, though, smiling at him for the first time since her return.]

Sokka... I love you, too. I'm sorry I've pushed you away so much lately...

[There's no doubt that will come later, which is fine. He settles for pulling her closer with one around her. He'd been worried she wouldn't say it in return. Hearing it is just as much reassuring for him, especially with his own worries that this whole thing was one sided.]

Well it wasn't easy... but you're worth the wait. [And that one was from Ceodore.]

[Red, red, red. But it's a nice kind of embarrassment, so she's smiling anyway; he can thank Ceodore later, because that was a pretty darn good line to give her. She ducks her head, feeling more like a little girl than the strong warrior she's used to being. Relax, Suki, relax. Don't do happy cartwheels or anything, that'll just look ridiculous.]

I'm... not going anywhere, now. I'm glad I'm with you.

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