playinginsand | [Rabbithole: South Pole, midnight-ish the night of Steph and Sokka's arrival]

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[Rabbithole: South Pole, midnight-ish the night of Steph and Sokka's arrival]

The baby hiccups and starts to sob, and for a moment, Steph isn't sure where they are. The cold that bites down as she struggles sleepily to a sitting position and tries to comfort the baby one-handed while undoing her leathers with the other is her first clue -- South Pole -- and then the softness of the furs beneath them, rather than the rocky floor of the cave they've spent the week in. Southern Water Tribe.

It's late at night, but they're at Sokka's home. More detail than that can wait until her head isn't so muzzy. The toggles on her clothes are about the limit of her ability right now, with a hungry wailing baby tucked in the other arm.

A hungry, wailing Miki.

This is Steph's happy-face again, sleep-deprived or not.

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Chuckling, Sokka curls a hand carefully over Miki's hair, trying to soothe his soon back to sleep. "You'll get used t'the cold, Steph, promise. Go back t'sleep, I'll clean him up."

And he will - once he finishes struggling to sit up.

But Sokka's more tired than she is, Steph starts to say.

... on the other hand, it's been a week, and already she's losing the urge to protest when offered help. Pride is a distant memory when neither of them gets more than three hours of sleep at any one time.

"...can walk w'you," she offers anyway, gathering the baby into her own arms while Sokka sits, smiling when his uncoordinated waving hand bumps into her nose and he blinks wide blue eyes in surprise. "Don' need sleep 'smuch." The little open baby-mouth gets a kiss before she has to give him back to his dad.

"Shut up. Go to sleep." Sokka leans down to take Miki and kisses Steph on the way. "And don't be dumb. I'll be back in a few minutes." Holding Miki carefully at his chest while he pulls his boots on, Sokka's hood is up a moment later as he pulls Miki's up, too. A little rag goes on his shoulder, over the same one Miki is bouncing, and he heads out into the cold to walk a bit, patting his son's back.

She really does mean to get up and walk with him. .... just she's going to shut her eyes for a moment longer first. And another. And ...

He will find her soundly asleep in his spot when he gets back.

Outside, Issa and Nata are talking quietly by the break in the wall, and the bright Sangok is hovering over the peak of the icebergs -- it's obviously change of watch time. The moon's high and bright enough for the little village to be lit silver-bright. Miki watches it all with big eyes and little burring gurgly noises as his dad bounces him.

Issa smiles and waves.

Either Miki is tiny or Sokka's hands are big - either way, he's grateful that he can settle a hand over his son's back and hold him steady enough to wave back at Issa, smiling. He doesn't walk toward the women, though, letting them have their time alone.

Besides... he's in the middle of his village and the stars are out.

"When I was little," he whispers to Miki, grinning a little when the baby gurgles again, "my dad used to tell the same stories over and over again. Really long, rambling stories about the stars and stuff I basically already knew, he was just talking.

"If you're lucky, maybe I'll do the same for you."

Miki's eyes still don't focus on much that's not close by, but his Dad's nose is an object of fascination, and worthy of a happy hiccup.

Perhaps this is a sign he would like Daddy to continue.

Or a sign that Sokka's nose is fasinating. He's kind of amused either way.

"Okay, lemme think... I'm tired and your mom's gonna whine if we don't come back soon... I'll tell you about Sangok and the fire princess." After all, the star is right in front of his face and that story was always one of Katara's favorites.

"Did you know the princess actually had a name? The Fire Nation calls it Princess Naupaka and the Water fisherman. Well, Naupaka and Sangok lived a long, long time ago, when Water and Fire people could live near each other without death and destruction and doom. And one day..."

Ten minutes later, Sokka is entering the hut again, as quiet as possible. After all, Miki is asleep in his arms and who knows how long that will last.

One of Steph's eyes flickers as the shaft of moonlight from the opening falls over her face, but when it's just Sokka she shuts her eyes again and mumbles something incoherent.

It probably translates as It's bloody cold in here without you, not-yet-but-soon!-husband, get your ass into bed.

Grinning at the supposed translation, Sokka kicks his boots off, slips into the furs, and ignores Steph's whine when cold leather meets her skin.

She won't remember in the morning, anyway, and so long as he doesn't get smacked, it really doesn't matter.

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[Rabbithole: South Pole, midnight-ish the night of Steph and Sokka's arrival]

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