PnF- Touch

“Sokka?” Toph's voice vibrated through Sokka's body as she spoke.  

“Yeah?”

He waited to hear her reply as the blizzard raged across the arctic tundra, enveloping the landscape in a whirling blanket of white. Deep within the hole he’d gouged into the snow, he pressed his back against their burrow's frozen walls and curled closer to the petite form lying next to him, trying to shield her from the icy gusts passing over their shelter.  Forced to use each other for warmth, she had shed everything but her undershirt, pants and boots and was now curled up under his tunic and parka, her back to him. Her parka served as a blanket to keep the worst of the cold off of their bodies. Feeling her shiver, he cursed himself for launching this foolhardy expedition in the middle of spring.


“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure. What is it?” He had to strain to hear her over the howling winds. It didn’t help at all that she had her back to him, and seemed to insist on posing her request to his parka.  

“What was that?”


Some shuffling occurred under the parkas- he moved his arms to accommodate it- and soon found himself staring into the milky green of her eyes as they peered up from a sea of blue and white.


Her chest expanded in a deep breath- if he didn’t know better, he’d think she was trying to muster up courage.


“Can I… see you?”

He frowned.

“But you’re blind. And there’s no earth here.” With a grunt she started to turn away from him- but he held her fast. “Wait!” She stilled as he continued. ”I don’t know how you expect to do it- but go ahead. I don’t mind.”


He wasn’t sure if she’d heard him and was about to repeat himself when her stiff shoulders relaxed and she turned back to face him. Her eyes straying over his shoulder, tiny bare hands struggled out of their confinement and reached out to meet his chest- then drew up to his face.


Thus followed some of the strangest moments of Sokka’s life as her icy hands trailed over his features. Drifted past his lips; paused at his nose; across his cheeks; lingered a bit longer than he was comfortable with around his ears. As her hands glided across toward his eyes, he let them drift shut, wondering at the protective instinct that surged through him as gentle fingers gently traced over his lids, down to his cheeks- and stopped. Curious, he opened his eyes. His breath caught.


For the first time that he could remember, she was looking straight into them. After a long moment she blinked, and he felt himself breathe again. She took her hands away, and he once again heard the arctic winds screaming past their hole; felt the cold seeping into his back.


“Thanks.”

His mouth opened; nothing came out. He cleared his throat; tried again.

“You’re welcome.”