2Umm... another chapter, same day. Maybe I'll actually get through three chapters of a fanfiction of mine this time. That'd be amazing! Hope you like it, I'll spell check it later.
The morning came and went, as Sokka drifted in and out of sleep. It was a warmer mornings than previous, even with winter coming. His warrior instinct told him that warmth always meant a harsh cold snap on the horizon. He didn't even sense Katara come in through his soft daydreams and lapses in reality. As she approached him cautiously, he blinked a few times, his cerulean eyes filled with an unspeakable sorrow mixed with passion glazed over with a thin sheet of pain. Pain that sent sirens off in Katara's head.
Blinking hard a few more times, he rubbed his eyes and looked at Katara, a silent question forming between them.
"Ahh... I was coming to get you to let you know lunch is ready..." Katara started, awkwardly fishing for words. Deep down she felt she had seen something private, almost forbidden, by accident. "We got lucky and found some old penguins who were easy targets. There's enough meat to last at least for three days if not more." Her words came out fast, maybe too fast, but audibly. Sokka nodded, and gave a small smile.
"Good work, little sister," he patted her arm, "I'll make a warrior out of you yet!" and with that, a grin engulfed the face that was so lost a minute ago, and gave a teasing pull to Katara's hair loops. Her face turned into a mock snarl as she playfully hit him.
"Don't do that! I hate that you know!" She laughed as he gave such a pathetic fight to gain access of his constricted airways. She had expertisely pinned him down and left him the trouble of untangling himself from the snow. He soon quit struggling all together, an icky feeling washing over him. No, it can't be what I think it is, he cursed himself. I'm the man of the village. I don't have time for childish ailments!
Katara's keen sister instincts caught the red flag immediately and she stopped her laughing, a somber look painting itself to her delicate features. She did a mental body check over Sokka. Body relaxed, reaction slowed, eyes glazed, hair... unwashed. She'd have to make sure he bathed properly tonight after all those warrior "expeditions". Aside from that, something was clearly wrong. She hadn't heard any tale tell signs from him ever since he miraculously recovered from his "arctic cough" as he so named it. That was at least six months ago. But now her motherly instincts kicked in. She inched forward towards Sokka.
Sokka's warrior danger instincts decided to kick up at that moment as he panicked, for what reason he couldn't place. It was almost like his body knew, but didn't bother to send the memo to his brain. In fact, unbeknownst to Sokka, there was almost a whole notepad worth of notices that he had automatically ignored until this point. Now he wished that he had been more attentive to his body.
Katara's cool forehead touched Sokka's for a good five seconds before Sokka's body retracted from her own. Those five seconds were enough. Her brow creased ever so slightly with worry. She had to choose her words carefully, he was sensative about the topic. It was easiest to let his body wear out on him until he was a bit more managable. However, fevers were a more serious thing than a cough or a sneeze. In the South Pole it could prove deadly. She needed to get him to lay down in Gran-Gran and her igloo to fight it. She needed to catch him with his guard down. The best way to down Sokka's guard, was to let him do it himself. She grin maliciously to herself. This might prove entertaining.
"You have a fever!" She announced, her voice as sugary as maple syrup. A smile equally as sweet followed as she made a dramatic gesture to touch his forehead again, intended to be slow enough so he could react.
"No I don't!" Sokka boldly said, expecting her comment and already having a prepared comment to veto it. He quickly stood up. "I already told you, childish ailments do not come to men of my stature! I am protecting this village and I am going to be prepared for the Fire Nation to come to our village!" As his voice rose, the energy in his speech dropped, until soon it was no more than a whisper. "I'm going to collect a good dinner tonight to go along with our penguin meat and... train the men and..."
"If you're referring to the five and six year olds, I think they can take a day off from training until... say... they're you're age," Katara smiled inwardly picking the perfect moment to strike. She took her brother by the shoulders gently and urged his head to lean on her shoulder just like her mom used to do. No matter how much Sokka protested, she was able to keep him in bed until he was all better. But that was when the men were around... when her father was around... when her mother was around... She was going to get him to do her bidding no matter the cost, because... he and Gran-Gran and her father were all she had left of her family... if the war ended.