In which Sokka maybe actually succeeds (we hope)

[markofthewise]

Who: Sokka, Suki
What: CANOE RIDE
When: Night of the 13th
Where: The river!
Summary: Sokka and Suki go on a boat ride. SOKKA HAS A SECRET SURPRISE FOR HER. What could it be?
Rating: It may get into nsfw territory later :|a


[This was it. Sokka had been working up the nerve and going through all the preparations for this. The Big Day. Do or die. Either he rises or falls. He'd get to find out the answer to a question that would determine the REST OF HIS LIFE.

... preparing for Black Sun was easier than this.

Either way, he'd let him work crew know he was going to be off, blown off school, informed Katara and the others he would not be back for dinner (or at all that night) and practiced his lines in front of an utterly disinterested Hawky. And then on a slightly less apathetic Momo.

Sunset was still about an hour off and Sokka was waiting by the river with the black canoe, Maza. He had wisely chosen not to take the one named Yue. Although now he was realizing he hadn't taken consideration of the moon cycle. Crap! What if this was a Full Moon? How could he manage to do something like this if he was feeling guilty about Yue!? Ugh... he'll just have to do the deed during sunset, rather than down at the lake. To think, he's already bungling things up this early.

Well, there's nothing for it now. He told Suki to meet him by the river bank. It was just a matter of her showing up now.]

Comments

[markofthewise]

[That doesn't really leave much for him to use. Just a much smaller blanket, which he wraps around him. And it looks like his food chest survived the boat toppling over, so he grabs that too.]

There's a New Feather station not too far from here. I doubt it's being manned right now, so it'll give us somewhere warm... and private. So it's kind of like camping. It's just as close as the village is. We can come back around for the canoe tomorrow.

[He starts walking. Brrr. He was going to be happy to get out of these soaked clothes.]

[kyoshi]

[What a lucky flip that was, then |D she nods and steps up to walk beside him, shoulder bumping up against his. She really can't help but smile to herself; the high of suddenly being engaged of all things is still pretty overwhelming. She'll have to check herself to avoid getting clingy about it, but for now she just wants to be close to him.]

[markofthewise]

[Oh come on they just got engaged. Wet or not, he wants to be close and clingy, so once they start walking, he takes her hand in his. It's the kind of thing they started doing a long time ago, but it's not any less significant now.]

... so, when people ask, we should leave out the canoe flipping, you think?

[kyoshi]

[She giggles at that, swinging their hands slightly.] Probably a good idea. Even if it did make the whole thing more exciting.

[markofthewise]

Exciting? Really? Because I was thinking more along the lines of embarrassing.

[kyoshi]

Maybe a little. But I don't mind. [You did a good job of making it up to her.]

[markofthewise]

[And he still has a ways to go! Ho ho ho. And also apparently they are like killer fast walkers because the New Feather station is just ahead instead of a good hour away.]

Well, once we're inside and warmed up, it'll be just like camping! But with, you know, an actual bed.

[kyoshi]

Just one bed?

[Possibly said a little too casually there.]

[markofthewise]

.... yeah, actually. [It's not that big of a deal, right? They've slept in sleeping bags next to each other or side by side while on Appa. This isn't any different, right?]

But it's a big bed.

[kyoshi]

...I don't mind. [Actually she's not even sure she'd mind if it was a small bed.]

[markofthewise]

Yeah. Besides, it could get cold. Body heat would be good. [In which case the size of the bed doesn't matter.]

[kyoshi]

[Yep, still not complaining.]

Well, come on! Are there any spare clothes, here? We should get out of these wet ones. Or at least start a fire...

[markofthewise]

I'll start a fire, I'll let you find something for us to wear.

[This is where they split paths. She can head on inside while he gathers some of the firewood sitting in a pile outside the building.]

[kyoshi]

[With a faint hum of agreement Suki heads in to get them a generic change of clothes- nothing special, but warm, at least. She fusses over the bed for a bit and lays Sokka's clothes on the bed, going about stripping down out of her soaked dress to put on the shirt-and-pants set she'd found. Not as good for her figure, mind you, but much warmer.]

[markofthewise]

[Sokka walks in with the firewood, but instead of starting the fire, he freezes the door and ends up seeing more than he had planned. Sure, it's all from behind, but well... let's just say that's the side of her he's never seen before. After she's dressed, one of the logs will roll out of his arm and land with a thud. He'll quickly scramble to pick it up.]

[kyoshi]

[At the clatter of wood, Suki yelps, diving behind the bed without even looking behind herself. She's pretty sure it's Sokka, and even if it isn't, she'd rather not be seen naked!

...Though in hindsight, it's a little silly. Sokka's seen her before, and if they're going to get married, he'll see her anyway.

...B-but still!]

I-I didn't know you'd be so fast!

[markofthewise]

[His jaw drops a bit and then he looks away, blushing. Oh jeez, he probably shouldn't be, but it's not like he was trying to get a peek!]

Th-there was firewood outside already and... umm... I'll just uh, go get the fire started.

[He fumbles trying to do that and goes to the fireplace, while trying to be smooth as possible about it. He fails.]

[kyoshi]

Oh... um... [She doesn't move from behind the bed, but a hand lifts over the edge to drag a blanket down to cover her up.] N-no... it's okay. I shouldn't have overreacted...

[markofthewise]

[After getting the fire started, he glances back at her, a little less flustered. He tries to appear unbothered and succeeds by virtue of the fact that, well, if she's okay with it than why let it be an issue?]

Uh, yeah. Heh, I guess I was kind of acting dumb there.

[kyoshi]

[...W-well. being okay with it and prancing around naked are two different things, so she tugs her clothes off the bed and tries to fumble with her pants beneath the blanket. She probably looks ridiculous but hey, this takes some getting used to.]

Not really dumb. Oh, I left clothes for you, too... [DERAIL DERAIL]

[markofthewise]

Oh. Yeah. I guess I'll go ahead and change.

[Once she's done looking ridiculous and getting changed, Sokka will go and grab his clothes. Again there's really not a lot of privacy in here, so he kind of gives a look that suggests she ought to turn around, so he can quickly and none too elegantly slip into his own dry outfit.]

[kyoshi]

[She reddens a little and turns, focusing on the fire to avoid looking at his shadow on the wall instead.]

I guess we're being kind of silly... I mean, we're getting married, and we're acting like this...

[They're getting married.

....Hee. She can't help but touch the necklace again, ducking her head. There's no need to be a little girl about it, but- ...geez.]

[markofthewise]

[He slides his new pants on, noting for a moment how loose they are. He'll just have to make good use of his belt. A moment later he looks up to see her touching the necklace again and he can't help but smile, both because there she is - his betrothed standing in front of the fire and because, well, she's right.]

Heh... I guess you're right. I mean, we'll be seeing a lot more of each other once we are married.

[kyoshi]

[She glances over her shoulder when she stops hearing the rustling clothes - carefully at first, then fully when she notes that he at least changed that much. She's seen him shirtless anyway.

Though speaking of marriage...]

Sokka... I was wondering about that, actually. We're engaged here, but- are we getting married here, then?

[It's strange to imagine- besides the Kyoshi Warriors, it's not like she has family she desperately wants to have at the wedding. But Sokka's father is so important to him, so shouldn't he be there for it?]

[markofthewise]

[At that, he pauses in the middle of tightening his belt. He feels kind of guilty, because for so long he had told himself that of course they wouldn't get married here. He'd always considered it a given. That was for home, with family.

... but that was taking the choice out of Suki's hands. And his own too, really.

Rather than pulling that shirt on, he closes the distance between the two of them.]

Well... I don't think we should let Luceti decide when and how we get married. A wedding is supposed to be about us, right?