In 106...

[beliefovermisery]

When Katara has nothing to do, she gets up early and 'bends all day. When Sokka is given the day off... he sleeps in.

Like a normal person.

That's where he is now, just rolling out from under his blankets at what is probably a few hours before noon. Who can really tell at this point? Still, it feels late to him and Sokka yawns, groggy as the blankets are thrown back and he searches for clothing. Pants are found, pulled on and tugged up before he gets up and wanders to the bathroom for more morning-necessities.

Visitors will be grunted at in a I'm-totally-not-all-there sort of way, shirtless with his hair floppy in his eyes.

Comments

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

With her head against his shoulder, he's-- bolder. His arm curls around her and he leans back, temple against her hair.

"It wouldn't... be fair, you know? To..." try anything. Not really.

[notahick.livejournal.com]

"Not really. An' I bet you got a girlfriend at home, don'tcha? You're probably just... a little lonely. We all are... wantin' things we don't have..."

Paige speaks out of her own guilt. There's... sort of a boy waiting at home for her. And she does like him. But.. she doesn' know what they are anymore...

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

"...I don't have anyone." He lifts his head from her hair and his smile is sad, self-mocking. "Girls-- don't stay either."

They don't stay most.

"But it's not 'cause I'm just lonely, Paige, I promise. I really do like you..."

Which clues him in a bit, blinking a little at her, growing sad.

Not surprised.

"...But you've got someone at home, huh?"

[notahick.livejournal.com]

She chews her lip, and looks away.

"Honestly? I don't know." She doesn't know HOW to put that relationship, if it was... anything more then a drunken stupid thing. "I... did somethin' really foolish, and tried to kiss a boy..." And he blew up our dorms. "And... We've not really... We... I don't think there's anything... I mean..."

She sighs.

"I think it's worse. The maybes. Maybe he really likes me and was just unable to say it, because of what happened, maybe he was just shy, maybe... Maybe he just isn't interested."

She shrugs, and then looks up at Sokka. "But I do like you, you know."

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

Sokka looks at her for a long time, weighing this all in his mind. A boy she tried (not succeeded in) to kiss, but she's not sure, he hasn't said anything, he was too shy, maybe, maybe, maybe...

"...You aren't wearing some kind of collar are you anywhere, are you?" he asks quietly, a little nervously.

It'd be just like this place to send him an alternate-universe Yue situation.

[notahick.livejournal.com]

Huh?

"Collar?" Her face screws up in confusion. "...why in God's green earth would I be wearing a collar?"

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

Thank the spirits.

He smiles a little for her, shaking his head. "It's-- a long story. But it's good. That you don't have one, I mean."

[notahick.livejournal.com]

Yeah, she's confused.

But she touches his necklace, and says, "You got a collar."

And she doesn't mean the scars under it, either.

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

The scars under it are hidden, thank you. Besides, he has far more interesting, apparent scars to poke it.

As it is, he just blinks at her before - of all things - grinning, raising a hand to tug on his necklace. "What, this? My Grandad made it for me when I was a baby - it's a Water Tribe tradition."

[notahick.livejournal.com]

"Oh! That's neat," Paige says, discission about otherworld angst forgotten for the next five minutes. She reaches up to trace along it, and coincidentently, his skin, too.

"I don't have anything like that. Not here, anyway."

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

His skin is rough there with, yes, you guessed it, scars, but-- above or below that line, smooth. Other than the patches where stubble is trying valiantly to grow in, anyway.

He's also a little pink when she touches him-- if smiling happily.

"Like what? Stuff from your granddad or jewelry made out of bone?"

[notahick.livejournal.com]

"Stuff from my grand-dad," she says and then draws her hand back before she goes back to leaning against him comfortably. It's nice and warm here. And, you know, shirtless boy, always win.

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

The shirtless boy is glad to be win.

Practically beaming as she settles back against him, Sokka sighs softly and leans back, his chin at her hair.

"...My sister's going to tease you something awful once she gets to know you," he notes, an amused warning.

[notahick.livejournal.com]

"Honey, I got nine siblings," Paige says. "And i'm the oldest girl. I've RAISED a Katara or two." Don't worry! She's not afraid!

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

"Well... I guess, technically, I've got four siblings now," he says, frowning a little as he counts them and then grinning at her. "Two sisters, two brothers. But you really only have to worry about the one brother so far as teasing goes." Aang wouldn't get too far with the sexual teases.

Speaking of which? He's starting to wonder what she expects there. He knows Mel jumped Zuko before they'd even held hands, but surely not all future girls were like that...?

[notahick.livejournal.com]

Uhm. Well.

They've held hands.

But that's about all they've done. Besides, apparently cuddle topless boys. But that's not that impressive, either!

But she's not gumped him, RIGHT?

RIGHT?

So he's safe. RIGHT?

"How'd you get more siblings?"

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

By being targeted by a future Slayer's psychotic vampire twin, getting the shit beaten out of him and finding camaraderie through shared hatred and the need to stick together.

"...I guess I don't, really. Not yet. Zuko wants to do a blood-rite with me and Katara, and Aang was made an honorary member of our tribe a while back. Mel won't do the rite, but she's practically our sister anyway so..."

He trails off and then blinks at her, smiling sheepishly. "It's kind of a weird family."

[notahick.livejournal.com]

"Sounds kinda interesting. What kind of... blood right? You gonna cut your thumbs, hold hands and declare yourselves brothers?"

...see, some of her people do that too!

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

"...Palms," he replies, looking almost gleeful that she recognizes the rite. He holds out his free hand for her, though-- it's wrapped in linens and she won't be able to see anything. "You slice them and shake and then you're family by blood - no one can say you're not.

"Katara hates that rite and Aang probably will, too, but Zuko wanted to do what our people do for adoption, so.

"Your people do it, too?"

[notahick.livejournal.com]

"Not formally," she says quietly. "I mean, it's something young men do sometimes, to prove a deep friendship, but it's not-- recognized by anybody but hte involved."

Which doesn't mean it MEANS less here for them. So there.

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

Quietly? It's lost on Sokka, who's still pretty excited about her recognizing it.

"It'd be recognized by our village, if we were there, but not any of the other nations. It's just the rite we do to add family members."

[notahick.livejournal.com]

"Well, it's all you need here," she says, and reaches up to tug his ear once, to tease him a little. "You do anything special for the girls you're sweet on?"

Just, you know. Asking.

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

"...Other than blush and make a fool of myself?" he mumbles, doing just that as he glances to her with a smirk. "...Nothing formal for the tribe, no. Not in the South."

The North's fucking crazy and Sokka...

Well, maybe he'll see if Paige wants a fish-bear some other time.

[notahick.livejournal.com]

Fishbears are darling.

"Okay. So, that's pretty in line with us. Boys don't do anything special lest someone makes them, most of the time," Paige says with a chuckle.

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

He laughs a little with her at that, shaking his head, his arm unconsciously tighter around her. "No, I mean, like-- there's nothing that's a... tradition. But boys will still do things. I mean, I was taught to - my dad practically drilled it into my head."