AU: Street Eden

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

People who have known Sokka since he was fifteen, sixteen, or even seventeen have often shared a common hope - that he will, eventually, calm the hell down about his work. Or at least cut down on the questions and excited babbling.

At thirty-four, Sokka is dangling from the roof of one of the two-story buildings in Eden, sitting in a sling constructed entirely of scavenged blankets, replacing a broken bulb in one of the lights they'd long installed on the street. The source of the blood they found on the walls from the beginning was known now and, honestly, they all felt better knowing there was light on the street in the middle of the night.

So.

Dangling Sokka from a roof, replacing a bulb and checking out the wires. Possibly whistling. Though it might be a yowling animal of some sort. As Zuko likes to say, Sokka couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.

Comments

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

"Hana, you know your dad loves to talk about your m-- what's wrong with Iroh turning into me? I'm awesome."

[fire-frays.livejournal.com]

Hana smirks brattishly.

"You remember the flaming boomerang incident?"

It took half the street to put out the resulting inferno.

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

"As I have never set fire to a bar before," Sokka begins, frowning at her brattish smirk, "that would have been an instance of Iroh not being me."

Luckily, Sokka isn't completely terrible at focusing-- anymore. Which is why he pushes her head back on his shoulder and resumes the petting. It's very soothing. Probably.

"Look, I loved your mom but if you really want to know about her and if she ever had dreams like this, or even if Harth ever did, Zuko's the one to ask."

[fire-frays.livejournal.com]

"'Kay," Hana says sulkily. But it does mean Sokka's won. "If he sets himself on fire, I'm blaming you."

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

"You say that as if it should surprise me," Sokka replies, smirking at her. He squeezes her shoulder again before taking the ultimate plunge and adding in a kiss to her cheek. "And if you need someone sane to take to later, I'll help you as best I can.

"In finding that sane person."

[fire-frays.livejournal.com]

"Right," Hana says, shying away just too late to avoid the kiss. One might almost say on purpose. "'Cause you never know where one might be hiding around here."

Then she's leaning fully on him, kicking the wall gently.

"Thanks, Uncle Sokka."

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

She gets another squeeze for letting him kiss her - any affection given to Hana that doesn't end in getting punched is... well, much like any affection given to Mel that doesn't end in the same. Rare, but nice when you get it.

"Anytime, tiny."