𝑯𝑰𝑫𝑫𝑬𝑵 𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑶𝑵, 𝒂: 𝒕𝒍𝒂

➳ 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵

SOKKA SPENDS THREE DAYS TRYING TO IGNORE KIDA. At least, from her perspective, that's what it seems like: eyes always glued to the map, he can't seem to talk about anything other than the importance of staying on schedule. Kida, on the other hand, would have liked to talk about their kiss and what it meant. She knew what it meant for her, but every time she tried to bring it up with Sokka, he just brushed her off.

Did she want to be with Sokka? Yes. Is she extremely annoyed at him? Also yes. Though, Kida also realizes that there's a war in need of fighting and a world in need of saving, so the fact that she's so preoccupied with relationship drama simply annoys her in general.

"We get that the schedule is important," Toph groans, just as Appa lands near a river. It had been a while since Aang got a good chunk of time dedicated to practicing earthbending and waterbending. "But, I think what's more important is that Aang masters earth and water bending."

Katara jumps down from Appa's saddle, then looks back up at her brother. "I agree with Toph," she adds.

"Yeah!" Aang exclaims as he airbends to the ground. "I can use all the practice I can get."

"They make some good points," Kida interjects. She climbs down Appa's saddle while helping Toph to the ground. "There's no point of being at the invasion if the Avatar can't fight using the elements he can during the eclipse. Other Avatars had years to practice, and even though Aang doesn't have that much time, he might as well get in as much training as possible."

Sokka groans and throws his schedule to the ground. "Fine. We'll camp out here for one night so Aang can practice his magic." He jumps down and immediately picks up the schedule again, dusting it off carefully. "From now on, though, we wake up forty-three minutes earlier."

"We can work out the details later," Kida replies. Aang, Toph, and Katara have already run off to start training, clearly excited about their new freedom. Then, she has an idea. "Look, maybe the two of us can spend the time training, too."

"I...I really should be planning —"

"Spirits, Sokka!" She practically rips the schedule out of his hands, folds it, and tucks it into her back pocket. "You've been planning and scheduling and organizing for three days straight. I think you could use the break. Unless.....you're just scared that I'll still be able to kick your ass."

Sokka scoffs. "Yeah, right. I think we remember our training sessions very differently."

Kida smirks. "So, what do you say, Wolftail? Just like old times?"

»»---------------------►

"WHY HAVE YOU BEEN ACTING SO WEIRD?" Kida finally asks, breaking a comfortable silence that had fallen upon her and Sokka.

The two spent an hour or so training — first, sword-fighting (with some sticks they found, since neither of them had an actual sword), then hand-to-hand combat — until they were so exhausted, they practically collapsed to the ground. It was nice, Kida thinks, to do this again: the dodging, the flipping, the lunging, the laughing. Even just watching the clouds while trying to catch their breath. It all felt easy, comfortable, familiar. Kida is just praying to all the Spirits that the following conversation doesn't change any of that.

"What do you mean by weird?" Sokka reponds.

Kida tilts her head away from the sky to look at Sokka, then sits up, crossing her legs. "Maybe the fact that we haven't really talked since.....in a while."

"We're talking right now."

She stares down at Sokka, her brows furrowed. Sokka's eyes are closed, as they were before when they were both resting. Frustrated, Kida blows a stray hair away from her face. "Look, if you don't want to be together, I'll live with that."