So, it turns out, Apparently the last finger is spelled pinkie and not pinky. Huh, you learn something new every day. I went ooohh when I found out. Makes me slightly uncomfortable.
Right. Onto the story then.
By the way, thank you for the concern, I keep forgetting to reply, but yeah my ao3 username is vrepit_nah, so don't worry, no plagiarizing here!
***
Sokka hummed. "It's pricey, but I really do like it." He was studying a green, leather bag perched on a display bench, a brass clip holding it closed.
The bustling market of the village nestled in the low hills was a happy reprieve from the swampy, forested areas they had been traveling in. (Y/n) felt at ease surrounded by the friendly people, but she was getting annoyed by the second. Sokka had been looking at that bag for a long time now.
Aang had already taken refuge on the floor, an unhappy expression on his face.
Katara looked at him in concern. "Then you should get it. You deserve something nice."
"I do, don't I?" He turned back and (Y/n) was relieved that he finally decided, but then Sokka was making an exaggerated gesture. "But no. It's too expensive, I shouldn't."
"Alright, then don't," Katara snapped and walked out. Aang quickly followed her, shooting a pitying look at (Y/n).
(Y/n) rested a hand on Sokka's shoulder. "If you're not getting it, I am."
"What?!" Sokka sprung up, eyes narrowed. "No, I'm getting it, back off."
(Y/n) just shook her head with a smile while Sokka went to pay for it. He was too easy. He came back with a grin on his lips, shooting her a smug look. "Happy?" She asked, folding her arms.
He slung it over his shoulder and made a pleased sound. "Yeah, this definitely looks better on me than it does you."
She huffed as they exited the store. "Please, we all know that's not true. Remember the time I wore your tunic and pants?"
Oh, Sokka remembered all right. After an altercation with a couple of Fire Nation soldiers, her clothes had been singed and her hair set on fire (temporarily). She stole Sokka's clothes and when he saw her, he blushed so hard he threw himself into a river. "Okay, so that was one time—stop biting your fingernails." He smacked her hand from her mouth, and she yelped.
"Don't tell me what to do," (Y/n) snarled, biting at her fingernail.
He breathed out a sigh, mumbling about cuticles as they went to find their friends. Their hands occasionally brushed and, and suddenly his brow furrowed and then he was snatching up her four-fingered hand. Air left (Y/n) so fast she was surprised she her lungs didn't shrink. With a racing heart, she watched as Sokka slowly wove their fingers together. "What—" she croaked. "What are you doing?"
"Hm?" He asked absently, but then his hand froze, and he was looking at her with wide eyes. "Oh! Oh, I was, uh, just wondering... how you'd, you know, hold someone's hand with four fingers?" Sokka lifted their joined hands to reveal his brown fingers between hers, his pinkie finger loose from the lack of her lost finger. He clears his throat. "But, uh, seems pretty cut and dry."
(Y/n) felt a laugh bubble up her throat, bitter and anxious. She snatched her hand away, ignoring the feeling of emptiness as she began biting at her other hand's nails again. "Next time just ask," she said drily.
Before Sokka could deign to respond, a local man dressed in green and grey garb strolled up to them, a wide grin on his face. He said, "hello, young travellers! I'm Minho! Would you care to check out my collection of Earth Kingdom's finest silks? Made from the silkworm-raccoon!"
"Hey," Sokka replied, clutching at the strap of his bag. He shared a glance with her.
(Y/n) nibbled at her nail, eyes sharply watching the man. "Hello," she mumbled, "not really into Earth Kingdom colours."
Minho laughed, pointing at the finger near her mouth. "Must be pretty delicious, huh?"
Okay, first of all, who points out that? And second, who the fuck points that out? Third of all, you get the point.
Unsurprisingly, Sokka took it in stride. "Oh, yeah, she loves the taste so much. Look at what she did to her other hand!" He then pulled up her four-fingered hand for display and she wiggled the stump of her pinkie slightly.
Minho's face turned pale, and then he was stuttering out a response before walking away briskly. (Y/n) pulled her hand away, an amused smile dancing on her lips. "You didn't need to scare him off like that."
Sokka just shrugged and they resumed their walk, spotting Aang and Katara chatting with an older man. "I didn't like what he said. He was fucking rude."
(Y/n) choked on air, staring at Sokka with wide eyes. She cleared her throat, trying to keep calm. She knew her cursing would get her into deeper waters. "How do you know that word?"
"What, fucking?" Sokka said casually. "Aang told us."
She sucked in a breath, praying to every entity out there that she hadn't actually made that word real in this universe. But the fact that he said it so easily definitely meant he didn't know what it meant. Then, her back stiffened. "Wait—us? Who's us? Whom else did Aang say that to?"
"Just me and Katara. What's the big deal? Has a nice ring to it."
(Y/n) pressed her palms together under her lips, trying to fight back either a laugh or a scream. Holy shit, she was an idiot. While basking in her stupidity, they had finally reached their friends, who quickly explained about an Earth-bending Academy.
Aang was hopeful for his new instructor, but that was quickly shot down when he realized that not only was he grouped in a class with a bunch of kids five years younger to him, but that he learned absolutely nothing. In addition to that, it was a paying class, and no one could scrounge up enough money for it.
(Y/n) let Katara lean on her, her head on her shoulder as she sighed. Sokka was behind her, his legs casually around (Y/n)'s hips, back against the wall. "I'm bored," (Y/n) groaned. "How much longer?"
Sokka reached forward to play with her four-fingered hand. Whether he liked to admit it or not, it was his favourite hand. He thumbed at the ring on her next finger, caressing her knuckles. It was strangely intimate, but (Y/n) liked it. She craved the affection so much, and for once, she wasn't guilty about it. Sokka's face fitted into the left side of her neck to avoid his sister's wrath, breathing down heavily as he murmured, "don't know. Don't care. Wanna eat."
A shiver shot down her spine and (Y/n) prayed he couldn't hear her racing heart.
Katara groaned on her other side. "You think he's the right teacher?"
"We can find out," (Y/n) said, slowly shrugging them off she immediately felt the loss of the warmth, but then they were all standing up to welcome an approaching Aang.
His shoulders were slumped as he said, "he's not the one." Aang leaves one and patted the side of his head, ejecting bits of dirt from his ear. Behind him, two students were chattering excitedly.
"I think The Boulder is gonna win back the belt at Earth Rumble 6," one of them said.
His friend was pumping his fist. "He's gonna have to fight his way through the best earthbenders in the world to even get a shot at the champ."
Aang's face lit up and he ran over to the boys. "Excuse me, but where is this earthbending tournament exactly?"
The two boys shared a glance before one of them said, "it's on the Island of Noneoya - none o' ya business!" They laughed and walked away.
(Y/n) snorted loudly and then Sokka was laughing with her. "Oh, I got to remember that one."
Katara smiled and put her hand on Aang's shoulder. "i'll take care of this." And then she was running after them, waving her hand and shouting, "hey, strong guys, wait up!"
While they waited, Sokka was inspecting the bag again, his nose crinkling. "What was I thinking? I don't need a new bag. Why'd you let me buy this?" As Sokka dropped the bag and folded his arms stubbornly, Momo quickly claimed the bag as his own and curled up into it, chittering happily. (Y/n) shot Sokka a dirty look and she strapped it on herself, gently petting Momo's head.
Katara quickly came back, out of breath but beaming as she announced, "You ready to find an earthbending teacher? Because we're going to Earth Rumble 6!"
Aang looked at her with awe. "How did you get them to tell you?"
"Oh. A girl has her ways."
***
Aang excitedly pointed to the seats of the stadium, beaming. The seats made of plain rock curved around an arena, a square pinched out of its center. Beyond that, there was a tower where an announcer was settled. "Front row seats! I wonder why no one else is sitting here."
(Y/n) uneasily watched, tensing as a boulder flew from the arena into the seats to their right, shower in them with debris and dust. She immediately was covered by Sokka, who was sheepishly smiling. With a confused look, (Y/n) mumbled, "you don't have to keep doing that."
Sokka just pulled away and ushered the kids to a higher stand. He sat next to her again, his thigh pressing against hers warmly.
Katara was unimpressed as the announcer began his speech and the rules. "This is just gonna be a bunch of guys chuckin' rocks at each other, isn't it?"
"That's what I paid for," Sokka said gleefully.
And then. Then, (Y/n) flamed red as he casually slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in as he cheered for the participants. Holy shit, was that her heart stopping? She stared at up him, the brown skin stretched across the curve of his jawline and she had never felt an urge like that to lay a kiss there.
With a dry mouth, she turned back to the arena. She had missed an entire round somehow, where one of the participants, the Boulder, had defeated his opponent, stage name: The Hippo.
Sokka was screaming in joy as Katara asked, "How about The Boulder? He's got some good moves."
Aang seemed hesitant. "I don't know. Bumi said I need a teacher who listens to the earth. He's just listening to his big muscles. What do you think, Sokka?" He only got a cheer in response, and then Aang turned his gaze to (Y/n).
She tilted her head, lips tugging into that reassuring smile. "Trust your instincts. Does it seem he's the right one?" Aang slowly shook his head. It seemed to quell his doubts because he smiled surely and turned back for the next round. It always surprised her that Aang trusted her so whole-heartedly.
Xin Fu, the announcer, boomed, "Next, The Boulder versus Fire Nation Man!"
Instantly, the bender swaying the Fire Nation flag received a chorus of yelling and boos, even Sokka putting his thumbs down, shouting, "Boo! Boo!"
(Y/n) pursed her lips at him. Were her standards that low?
Sokka turned to look down at her, and he smiled brightly, but a twinge of concern in his eyes as he was saying, "are you enjoying? If it gets too much, let me know?" He knew she was uncomfortable at the sport being so out of control. She just didn't want to be hit by a flying rock, and honestly, it was a little loud for her.
Any closer and his nose would brush hers, but (Y/n)'s hand crept up and curled around him.
Yeah, he was perfect. She nodded and his smile grew wider, tightening his arm around her. Call her selfish, but (Y/n) wanted to enjoy this even if they were in a dingy stadium full of sweaty people and testosterone reeking from the men around her. (Y/n) nuzzled into his bare arm and inhaled gently. She could die like this, honestly, he smelled like the ocean and wood and she loved it.
Sokka stiffened a bit before he returned to the fight, shouting, "Go back to the Fire Nation!" He threw a stone which hit the Fire Nation Man on the head.
It got his attention and Sokka shrunk, but the Fire Nation Man was twisted around and sunk into the earthen floor of the arena. (Y/n) pinched Sokka's arm. "Could you stop making enemies for one second?"
He shot her an incredulous look. "This has never, in my life, ever happened before."
"You tried to fight a Swamp, Sokka."
Katara snickered behind her palm. "She got you there."
"Katara!" He whined, and they shared a look that seemed to convey a ton of messages from anger to a challenging stare-off, and then became pleading before his face turned red and he kept quiet.
(Y/n) quirked a brow at Aang, who seemed just as mystified.
The next time they turned back to the arena, the Boulder had slammed into the Fire Nation Man impressively. Sokka seemed to snap out of his flushed state as he pumped his fist. "Yeah! Whoo! The Boulder knows how to put the hurt in the dirt!"
That's how every match ended. The Boulder defeated every contestant, Aang lost more hope, and Sokka was thrilled. (Y/n) had taken to petting Momo halfway through because the flying rocks that sent her heart racing got a little too much and she had needed to concentrate on something else. She did notice that Sokka's gaze flickered to her every once in a while.
Finally, (Y/n) perked up when the announcer claimed the last match of the game. The Boulder versus the reigning champion, the Blind Bandit. When a young girl, barely twelve, walked up to the stage, eyes milky white but strangely confident in her footsteps, (Y/n) was gaping. The show didn't do justice to that young girl. She was tiny compared to everyone else, fitted in an attractive green and white earth bending uniform and a green cape that fluttered behind her. On her head was a black and green headband holding up her neatly pinned hair. And she was proudly holding a green rise belt, taunting her opponent.
(Y/n) whooped with the crowd as they chanted "bandit" repeatedly.
Katara frowned. "She can't really be blind. It's just part of her character, right?"
"I think she is," Aang whispered.
Sokka grinned at (Y/n), who was sitting straighter and excitedly cheering. "Look who's into Earth Rumble."
(Y/n) grinned, pointing at the young earth bender in the arena. "Are you kidding? This is going to be awesome. She's gonna pulverize the Boulder."
Sokka pursed his lips. "I think she is going down!"
"Wager a bet?"
"Obviously. Loser gets to set up the tents and hunt?"
(Y/n) quirked a brow. "You seem pretty confident there. Raising the stakes, loser also digs the latrine hole."
His face turned a little pale. "If you can hold a shovel with nine fingers, sure. It's gonna be pretty pathetic to see the Boulder stomp a baby."
The Boulder scrutinized Toph, shoulders tense. "The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young, blind girl."
Instead of cooing at the sentiment, Toph pointed a finger right at the Boulder, no hesitance as she said, "sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder."
The crowd went silent, only (Y/n) laughing under her breath as the Boulder paused. The sting of words worked when he declared, "The Boulder's over his conflicted feelings, and now he's ready to bury you—" he made a dramatic, crushing gesture that Toph literally couldn't be intimidated by. "—in a rock-a-lanche!"
"Whenever you're ready...The Pebble." Toph threw her head back in a loud guffaw.
"It's on!" The Boulder shouted, and despite the bravado, everyone could see him sweating. He took the first step and as his heel hit the ground, Toph made a tap with her foot that seemed to do nothing at all, and then...
Then she grinned.
With a powerful, steady arc of her right foot, she slammed the ground with her heel and sent the ground rumbling, churning the rock underneath her straight towards the Boulder like a desert serpent. The second his foot touched the ground, the rocks beneath him shifted and he was dropped into a painful, perfect split that had him biting his lip, a small whine escaping his mouth.
Sokka cringed with him and turned to (Y/n), who was smiling deviously, not at the game, but at him, her eyes glinting. "No take-backsies," she taunted.
The rest of the fight went as expected, and all too soon, the announcer declared The Blind Bandit as the reigning Champion. Sokka was enraged, (Y/n) and Katara looked pleased, and Aang. Aang dared to face her at the call of the announcer. He ran down and joined her on the arena; the first thing Toph said to him—that Queen—was: "Do people really want to see two little girls fighting out here?"
The crowd went wild. Aang only raised his hands. "I don't really want to fight you. I want to talk to you."
"Boo!" Sokka shouted, "no talking!"
(Y/n) pinched his arm and pointed at Toph. "She's the one Aang's been looking for."
"What? I thought he liked Kata—"
"An Earthbending teacher!" (Y/n) yelped. Katara frowned at them, more focused on Aang to pay attention to them. "The Blind Bandit is the teacher Aang needs."
Sokka looked conflicted, and then innocently, he asked, "so no fight?"
And honestly, did Aang ever think things through before he launched himself into something? Even Sokka liked a plan, but (Y/n) knew that the best way to get someone on your side is definitely not by challenging them to a fight and making them lose their pride under unfair grounds. Aang had used his air bending, which was not only against the rules of Earth Rumble, but it had defeated Toph and she had to give up her title. And as Aang was forced to collect his prize—Sokka was happy—he looked back at the wall where Toph had disappeared to dejectedly.
(Y/n) could only put a comforting hand as they faced the crowds, smiling in the only way she knew would show that things would be alright.
If only she knew, that by the end of the day, things would not be alright.
***
They strolled down the village lane. Sokka was wearing the tournament belt and was making grabby hands at the bag slung over (Y/n)'s shoulder. "Come on, the bag matches my outfit!"
"You should've thought of that before dumping it," (Y/n) said stubbornly, smacking his straying hand. "Plus, Momo is sleeping in it and you know I hate waking him up."
Aang was deep in thought as the teens fought over the bag. "If we want to find The Blind Bandit, the Earthbending Academy is a good place to start."
That was definitely a no-go. The Blind Bandit was nowhere to be found, but they did get a tip about the Beifong family after Katara wrenched it out of two terrified boys that had bagged Sokka earlier.
"Let's check it out," (Y/n) suggested as they walked out of there.
One of the students puffed his chest and mumbled, "Yeah, you better leave."
Katara spun on her heel and put two fingers to her eyes and then at them. "Hey, I've got my eye on you." They shook.
(Y/n) shook her head as Sokka spread his arms and whispered, "Water Tribe."
Now, (Y/n)'s memory was lost to her old universe, barely a thread that kept her nervous and alert because she knew she never fit in. But the only reason she did remember was because she knew her purpose here, and it kept the memory of her being in an actual Tv show to stick. So, she knew what was about to come. She knew that the Boulder and some other people she didn't bother learning about would come after them all.
Her gut didn't tug once. And maybe it put her off because she was so used to things taking a turn for the worst. Even if she had a specific purpose here didn't mean she wouldn't get caught in the crossfire.
When they broke into the Beifong estate—much to her chagrin, they could've knocked, honestly—and were caught off guard by a surge of earth that threw them into the air, (Y/n) was terrified. She screamed as they fell back down, Aang and Katara into nearby bushes and Sokka on the ground. (Y/n) fell back in her muscle memory, which made her roll, as she hit the ground, but it didn't come without a small, sharp pain along her palms as they scraped the ground.
Rolling to a stop, she got up and dusted herself off, squinting around her. Sokka was nearby and he was okay, but the small figure of Toph had approached Aang, dressed in a fancy gown. Toph folded her arms. "What are you doing here, Twinkle Toes?"
Aang blinked in surprise. "How did you know it was me?"
"Don't answer to Twinkle Toes." Sokka whined loudly. "It's not manly!"
"You're the one whose bag matches his belt."
"The bag's still mine," (Y/n) claimed. She looked at her waist. "Where is it?"
Sokka made a triumphant sound. "Got it!" He slung it over his shoulder and stuck his tongue out at her.
"That's mine!"
"Finders keepers."
(Y/n) snarled. "And I will find you a rock to hit you with." Sokka was still smug. She frowned and threw her hands up. "I—I don't even care, why am I fighting about this?" She joined Aang and Toph.
Toph seemed amused. "How did you find me?"
Aang finally air bended himself to his feet. "Well, a crazy king told me I had to find an earthbender who listens to the earth. And then I had a vision in a magic swamp and..."
"What Aang is trying to say is, he's the Avatar, and if he doesn't master earthbending soon he won't be able to defeat the Fire Lord," Katara supplied.
Toph shoved a hand at Katara's face. "Not my problem. Now get out of here or i'll call the guards."
Sokka seemed to finally catch up with the conversation. "Look, we all have to do our part to win this war. And yours is to teach Aang earthbending."
Toph seemed like she was considering it for a second. Within a second, Toph's expression turned distraught and she screamed shrilly into the night air. "Guards! Guards, help!"
The group shared panicked looks. (Y/n) pulled at Sokka and grabbed Katara and Aang, shoving them to run and take cover, leaving Toph behind. They found a wall at the property that was covered in darkness, and they stopped to rest.
"That sneaky little—" Sokka cursed, panting against the brick wall.
Aang climbed up the wall and perched on it, eyes squinted at the building in the distance. He groaned. "How are we supposed to get in now?"
(Y/n) felt nauseous. Was it the run? She was pretty sure she had run longer than that, and for a moment, she wondered if she was about to blow chunks, but then there was the twisting, tugging sensation at her gut. Oh, so they were being time-specific now, or was the universe just getting lazy in giving her a head-start about issues she had to deal with?
Stupid universe, she thought.
She quickly took it back. No cursing the universe that has power over her existence. She wanted to live a long and happy life, if possible. (Y/n) looked up at Aang with a small smile. "You're the Avatar, Aang. You have privileges. Use them."
It took a second, but then Aang was grinning along with her. Yup, that seemed easy enough. "I'll blast the house down!" Aang said loudly, nodding to his own thoughts. "That way, without anyone as strong as the Blind Bandit, she'll be forced to save everyone."
Sokka shot him a flat look. "None of that gives her incentive to join us."
"Plus, people might die," Katara said sheepishly. "Avatars don't put people in danger."
(Y/n) smacked her forehead. "Aang! You're the Avatar! Just knock on the fucking door!"
Her three friends turned to her with confused looks. "You used 'fucking' again," Sokka pointed out. "I thought it meant— "
Oh, spirits, save her soul. (Y/n) winced. "My bad, used it wrong, shall we go?" She awkwardly gestured to the house.
Aang and Katara let it go and they began walking, but Sokka stayed back to pin her with a scrutinizing look. "You're lying again."
Shit.
*
They were welcomed to dinner at the Beifong residence. No gut tugging, which meant it was relaxation time for (Y/n). So maybe she was tired of her job and breaks like these was taken full advantage of.
She had her bowl of a mixture of noodles, but by the spirits, it was so delicious that she had asked for seconds, completely ignoring the awkward atmosphere in the room. Aang and Toph were glaring at each other. Toph did it blind and somehow looked more terrifying than anyone (Y/n) had met.
Katara was trying to ease into a pleasant conversation with Toph's mother, and Sokka was silent, surprisingly. (Y/n) was perceptive of his movements, reactions, and this was his contemplative, suspicious look. He was definitely going to come after her and make her spill the truth about stuff.
She'd deal with it later. Right then, she was enjoying her spicy noodle soup.
Toph's father, an elder, smiling man with dark hair, was introduced as Lao. He picked up the lid of the teapot and inhaled softly, pouring it before drinking. "I'm pleased to hear that Toph's private lessons are going well, but I want to be sure that she's not trying anything too dangerous."
Beside him, Mama Beifong smiled and nodded, both parents looking to the man sitting across them, Master Yu, a snobbish looking man whom (Y/n) deftly ignored. She had seen the looks he had sent her. Dressed in Water Tribe garb but not of the blue eyes-dark skin-brown hair Water Tribe ethnicity was bound to receive strange looks, but she hadn't had the time to shop for clothes.
Master Yu said stiffly, "absolutely not. I'm keeping her at the beginner's level. Basic forms and breathing exercises only."
"Very good."
A servant in grey garb placed a hot dish in front of Toph, and immediately, her father ordered the servant, "blow on it. It's too hot for her."
Toph's brows crinkled and she looked almost disgusted, but she covered it up with a blank look.
Aang raised his hand politely. "Allow me." A small whirlwind zoomed across the table and petered over her dish, instantly cooling it. Everyone at the table clapped at the display, but Toph seemed irritated.
Mrs. Bei Fong pressed her hands together, and in a soft voice, said, "Avatar Aang, it's an honour to have you visit us."
Lao said, "in your opinion, how much longer do you think the war will last?"
(Y/n) felt uneasy. It was one thing to watch this from a show; it was another thing to live it. Because here was a grown man who didn't even seem perturbed at the idea that a literal child had to risk his life to save the world. Was Lao even helping with the war effort? Or was he happy staying in his comfortable chair while a kid had the weight of the world thrust upon him?
Aang swallowed his food and brightly said, "I'd like to defeat the Fire Lord by the end of summer, but I can't do that without finding an earthbending teacher first." He eyed Toph.
"Well, Master Yu is the finest teacher in the land. He's been teaching Toph since she was little."
"Then she must be a great earthbender, probably good enough to teach someone else."
Under the table, a little shake made Aang hop up in his seat and yelp, immediately shooting Toph an angry look. Toph only smiled and put some food in her mouth with her chopsticks. (Y/n) nudged Sokka, who looked up with a noodle stringing out of his mouth. He slurped it up and quirked a brow. She leaned over and whispered, "watch 'em."
Sokka turned, pressed his mouth to her ear and murmured, "I really don't care, I'm just starving." He received a pinch that made him snicker.
Yu spoke up. "Toph is still learning the basics."
Lao looked regretful. "Yes, and sadly because of her blindness, I don't think she will ever become a true master."
The kids shared glances before Aang responded cheekily, "oh, I'm sure she's better than you think she is."
Toph looked annoyed and the table shook again, something knocking back Aang's chair and sending his face into his food bowl. He stiffened and righted himself, the bowl sliding off his face with noodles slapping the floor. The noise echoed in the silence of the horrified people. When Toph pretending everything was fine and took another bite, Aang seemed to narrow his eyes before sneezing. Loudly. It sent a wing across the table, which threw all the food over everyone on that side of the table, including, Toph, her mother, and Master Yu.
Toph rose to her feet and slammed her hand down the table, screeching, "what's your problem?
"What's your problem?" Aang shouted back.
They stood at a stand-still, the only noise coming from Sokka, who quietly finished his bowl of noodles in soft slurps. He leaned over to (Y/n) with a grin. "You're right, that was entertaining."
She beamed back, eyes tracing as he dabbed a napkin over his mouth, and then pushed back a strand of brown hair behind his ear. He was really cute.
(Y/n) was glad when Mrs. Bei Fong suggested dessert because sitting there any longer would've compelled her to wax poetic about his looks and she wasn't ready to be embarrassed yet. It was only just past sunset after all.
Nothing except a tense silence happened in dessert. (Y/n) and Sokka had taken it upon themselves to make each other laugh or choke during the quiet, only employing funny faces and silent tactics.
It had started simple, with Sokka crossing his eyes just when she took a bite of hot dessert and nearly made her spit. (Y/n) knew a challenge when she saw one, and then she was wiggling her ears, and he retaliated by trying to tickle her discreetly (it wasn't, Katara wasn't impressed and Aang wasn't even bothered anymore), which earned him numb fingers when she chi-blocked them. She almost guffawed at his pitiful state of limp fingers.
Sokka was stuffing dessert down his mouth and then a soft click that made (Y/n) flinch and stare at the corner of his jaw. He fucking knew she loved it. Sokka proceeded to put more dessert in his mouth, earning an impressed look from her.
(Y/n), in turn, made her tongue twist in her mouth like it was a snake, and that had Sokka's jaw popping back in harshly and his face turning red. He ended up choking and running out of the room, leaving her confused but victorious.
Finally, they called it a night, where the GAang were allowed to rest in a large room in the villa. There were four beds, two on each side of the room, and a large mat in the centre. Sokka took the bed closest to the wall, allowing (Y/n) to settle down in the bed a foot away from his. Katara and Aang took the other beds.
Aang was staring out the window, waving at Appa, who was right next to the wall outside. "Goodnight, buddy."
(Y/n) perked up and dug in her pockets before producing a few fruits and tossing them to Aang. "Give him a pat for me," she said before plopping back down. Aang thanked her and fed a happy Appa, petting him gently.
The door swung open and in stepped a barefoot Toph. Aang seemed to go on the defensive and Katara reared up as well, but Toph only raised her hands and said, "relax. Look, I'm sorry about dinner. Let's call a truce, okay?"
Aang relaxed a bit, and then he was invited to take a stroll out. Which left Katara staring out the window, absently petting Appa as she watched Aang and Toph walk through the moonlit gardens.
(Y/n) closed her eyes, sighing. "She's worrying," she mumbled.
Sokka grunted and turned to face her. After pillowing his head under his elbow, he grumbled, "is it my turn already?"
"Yep."
"Sheesh, today just isn't my day."
He picked up his pillow and flung it at Katara's head. The girl yelped and snapped out, "hey!"
Sokka sent his little sister a steady look. "Katara, go to bed. Nothing's gonna happen."
"Yeah, but—"
"No buts," he interrupted. "Go to bed. I'm sure they're just clearing up the dinner debacle." His eyes fell to a sleepy (Y/n) curled up on her bed, and he impulsively sat down near her body, the dipping of the bedding alerting her. Her eyes fluttered open, and upon spotting a soft-looking Sokka, her lips quirked up gently.
-
Katara heeded his advice and laid down, still watching the teens across her. Sokka put out the candles in the room and let the darkness seep in. Within a minute, her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she saw that Sokka's bed was empty, and that (Y/n)'s bed had a larger shape on it.
"What're you doing, Sokka?" A sluggish voice filtered through.
A soft sigh from her brother. He shuffled on that bed and Katara could've sworn her older brother had touched (Y/n)'s face. She felt her chest warm. Sokka had never cared about someone so much until (Y/n) came along.
With Suki, Sokka respected her greatly; was attracted to a strong girl and appreciated the criticism. With Yue, it was infatuation; a pretty princess would do that to anyone. She was pretty sure (Y/n) was halfway to falling for the Princess, too.
He hadn't even shown Suki or Yue this kind of affection and closeness. That's because (Y/n) was his friend first. Took down his walls and made him comfortable to be his goofy, uptight, strange self. They had a rocky start, but they came a long way. Katara yearned for such a connection.
"How are you?"
Katara frowned. That's why Sokka was there? Strange.
"You don't need to ask me that every night."
Sokka sucked in a breath. "I want to. Ever since we left the outpost, you've been shaky. And—and um, in the cave of Omashu... we, you know..."
Katara's ears pricked.
"I don't want to talk about that," (Y/n) hissed quietly.
"What about your flashback at the outpost? Are you ready to talk about that?" Sokka fired back. There was a sudden tension in the quiet before (Y/n) asked:
"How do you know about my flashbacks?" The tone was defensive and guarded...and afraid.
"Hey," Sokka said gently, "don't worry, I didn't tell anyone. My uncle used to have them, too, after coming back from protecting the South Pole from the Fire Nation. It's a war thing, right?"
A sniff. It set Katara shaky, how vulnerable it sounded, especially from strong, brave (Y/n).
"Sokka, please..."
Sokka curled around her. "Did you fight?"
(Y/n) paused. "Once. Sokka, before I met you, I was with the Fire Nation."
"Well, I know that-"
"No, Sokka, I was with the Fire Nation," her voice sounded thick and wet, hoarse as she tried to lower her voice. "I was... put into the Omashu academy to infiltrate the troops. I fed intel about Earth Kingdom strategy. When the students graduated, we were sent to the border, and because of me—" there was a choked sound, and she sounded so small when she whispered, "almost everyone died. Fong was a survivor, and I was so horrified with what I had done that I left."
Sokka seemed to move away from her and her breath hitched loudly.
"I swear, I...it was wrong, and I left. Then I was captured on Zuko's ship and tied up."
"Why didn't you tell me? "Sokka asked quietly, voice like ice chips.
Katara felt rage. (Y/n) had hidden this from them? All this time? They trusted her, and now she knew how Sokka felt.
"Don't leave me."
Sokka was quiet, and (Y/n) whimpered when he got up and sat on his bed.
"Sokka, please, just say something." She sounded like she was crying. "Please, you promised. You promised we wouldn't go to bed angry."
"And you promised that I could trust you." He snapped. As if realizing Katara was in the room, his voice lowered. "What else were you hiding? Wait..."
Katara could hear sniffles, but (Y/n) hadn't budged, choosing to curl in on herself as she faced an angry Sokka.
"Yue."
(Y/n) shot up so fast she was blur. "No."
Now Katara was wondering what happened, that Sokka could suspect something like that. Surely, (Y/n) didn't hurt Yue? Yue gave her life to save them but maybe...
Did something happen between (Y/n) and Admiral Zhao when they weren't around?
Sokka lit a candle, the light illuminating their side of the room. Katara made eye contact with her brother, who froze momentarily before his gaze fell to (Y/n), who was shaking, arms crossed tightly around herself.
"Am I supposed to take your word for it now? Or will you bring up more secrets the next time I try to ki—come to you?"
(Y/n) stiffened, head turning slightly, and it seemed she understood they had an audience the whole time. She paled. "I didn't hurt Yue. I swear, I didn't."
"First you say you fought in Omashu, but did you conveniently forget which side you fought for?" Sokka shouted, and (Y/n) actually flinched.
"Sokka, just listen, please-"
Sokka looked terrifying, but mostly, Katara knew he was so brutally hurt. "I—I can't. (Y/n), don't you get it? It's like we go one step forward and two steps back, every single time. And then you expect me to be alright just like that? Like every time you hide stuff doesn't hurt me?"
(Y/n)'s lip was trembling with the effort to not sob. "I—I don't want to hurt you, you know that! Why aren't you listening to me?"
"Because everything you say hurts me!" Sokka exploded. "Because for once, I want you to tell me something without me having to drag it out of you! Because—because what's the use of saying all these things to me—like I mean something so good to you—when you can't even trust me? When you keep lying all the time?!"
"I don't..."
"Yes, you do," Sokka growled, his body fixed to the floor as (Y/n) is sitting, her head in her hands. "I know you lie; you've been doing it from the moment we met."
A broken sound escaped (Y/n), as if she's being kicked. "I don't want to lie to you, but sometimes, I just can't—"
Sokka scoffed. "At least give me a reason why. If I mean anything to you, tell me what's going on with you."
He waited silently, his arms crossed taut over his chest, for (Y/n) to respond. She doesn't lift her head up. And she doesn't speak. When he realized he's going to get nothing from her, Sokka swallowed roughly. "I see." His tone could cut through steel. (Y/n) froze, and Sokka, Katara realized, was crying. He rubbed furiously at his eyes, a painful sound tearing out of his throat. "I'm so stupid..."
"No!" (Y/n) reached out, but he shied away like he was being burned. She cowered in herself again, shaking her head as she mumbled a no. "I care, Sokka. The person who did all that wasn't me—it wasn't me. I just—!"
Sokka's eyes narrowed dangerously, glassy with tears. "You're hiding something. Again."
"God," (Y/n) choked, rubbing at her face before she straightened up. "This isn't right, I—I gotta go."
She moved to the door, not even taking a bag or food, and just as she swung the door, Sokka called her name. (Y/n) looked back hopefully, but when she met Sokka's scowl, she knew.
"Don't bother coming back unless you're ready to stop lying," he said. His voice was too soft compared to the anger on his face. When she left, Sokka was standing there, staring at the door, a stream of tears falling down his cheeks. Katara got up to comfort him, but he raised a hand. "I need space."
She felt sick to her stomach, yet when she nodded, he doused the candle flame and in a minute, she heard soft sobbing from across the room.
(Y/n) didn't just leave them. She broke Sokka's heart.
*
Everything was blurry.
(Y/n) found a tree in the estate, far away from the building, scaled it, and cried her heart out.
Why didn't she say anything? Fucking idiot, she couldn't even open her mouth. The words weren't even there to say. Of course, he meant something to her, so why, why couldn't she just... this was all because of what she did in Omashu.
Kim, she corrected herself. What Kim did.
But she lied, and that wasn't much better, now was it?
(Y/n) never felt like this before. She felt so hopeless that her heart felt stretched thin. She lost Aang, and Katara, and Sokka. She lost someone she could've loved. And with this reputation, she was sure she wouldn't be trusted anywhere else.
Spirits, she fucked up.
All she could see was how broken Sokka looked. Like he wanted to trust her, but he was smarter than that. He knew from the beginning. Who was she kidding? This was never meant to be easy.
It took several minutes to dry herself out of tears, and then (Y/n) was left with a numbness that soaked through her bones, and her body went lax as she fell asleep on the branch of that tree.
The next morning, (Y/n) woke up to try and fix things. She felt better, clearer, but dread was there in confronting them. Sokka wouldn't be happy, but she had to get them to listen somehow. Because she was selfish, putting her feelings before the job, (Y/n) lost them, and now she couldn't complete her purpose here. So, she had to get back in the saddle somehow, even if it meant telling them the truth.
She knew they wouldn't believe her at first, and it was a risk because if she spoiled something to them, something that would happen in the future, then she might change something for the worse.
So, (Y/n) pieced her words carefully before she deemed herself ready. She was almost surprised at the way she handled this. She was pretty sure she would've moped longer, but maybe something about Kim stayed with her.
Again, there was that horrible feeling in her chest. She already had Kim's physical traits and skills. What about mentally? Emotionally? Would she revert to that mindset? Would she turn out to be as bad as Kim?
(Y/n) cleaned herself as best she could, pinned up her hair and made the trek to the villa.
Except when she got there, Appa was gone, Sokka and Katara were gone, and Aang and Toph were gone.
When she peeked in through a window, she spied Mr. Beifong holding out a chest of gold to Master Yu and Xin Fu, the announcer of the Earthbending tournaments. They were agreeing to track down Toph.
Which meant... they had left her behind.
(Y/n)'s hand clapped over her mouth as she slid down the wall, trying to breathe through the sudden hiccupping of her chest. Her eyes stung, but she didn't even realize it because... Sokka had left her behind. Convinced Aang to leave her.
They were supposed to be family.
Her stomach sharply tugged as if she had cramps, and (Y/n) bowled over, bile rising up her throat. She scrambled to her feet in a panic and raced away from the estate, not stopping until she reached the forest lying on the outside of the large estate, and then she collapsed and retched into a bush. The pain came in waves, leaving her sweating and convulsing in pain, vomiting until she was dry heaving and sobbing hoarsely.
Breathe.
(Y/n) hacked out coughs before sucking in deep breaths, crying out every time her gut clenched painfully. It was one of the most painful things she experienced, as if her body was tearing herself inside-out. Fingers dug in dirt as she steadied herself on shaky knees, holding back another heave, concentrating on her breaths until her head stopped reeling. (Y/n)'s cheeks were wet, and her body felt empty and trembled as she recovered from the episode.
Once she was stable enough to walk, (Y/n) looked around. She had no belongings but the clothes on her back. No map, no way of knowing where they would go.
Her stomach growled, surprisingly.
She needed food first, (Y/n) thought as she trekked towards the town carefully.
And then she'll find them.