Disclaimer: Avatar © Bryke and Nickelodeon. This fic belongs to me, and canon!Zutara belongs to the fandom. 'Nuff said.

Author's Notes: Did anyone else completely fall in love with that steamy almost-Sukka scene in "The Southern Raiders"? I know I sure did! :D Here's to more Sukka love in the future! And this? This is just a drabble-turned-oneshot expressing my supreme, never-ending love for the miracle that is Sokka/Suki. It's what could've happened, what should've happened, and what probably did happen, but got cut out because it was too mega-steamy for a Y7 TV show. (: See how the fandom's minds work?

Beaches and Icebergs

She was raised on the tame beaches of Kyoshi Island, and he on the brutal icebergs of the South Pole.

When Earth and Water combine—the sandy beaches where the ocean meets the shoreline.

Sokka quickly pulled shut the dark golden curtains of his tent, taking small note of how the candlelight danced around the small space. He let out a sigh. "I thought he'd never leave," the tribesman muttered. But suddenly, a thought occurred to him, forcing a goofy grin across the tan boy's face. He wiped his hands on his tunic and stuck his head out of the tent's opening. "Suki!" he whispered.

Sokka turned his dark head, only to notice Zuko standing not five feet away, blatantly staring at him. The Water Tribe boy felt his face begin to heat up again; he tried to act nonchalant and cover up his embarrassment by whistling—very badly.

But the fire prince just shrugged and walked away, quite used to Sokka's odd behavior by now. Hey, whatever that tribesman and his girlfriend wanted to do behind closed doors—er, tent curtains was their business. And really, it's not like he hadn't done the same thing with Mai… And it's not like he hadn't thought about doing it with other girls… like Jin.

The tan boy retreated back inside his place of refuge for a moment to think. Was it really worth all the trouble…? I mean, really. His friends were beginning to stare and wonder, and he was sure Zuko was more than suspicious.

And… what if Suki wasn't ready? Nah, he abandoned that thought as quickly as it came. She was the one who suggested he should take off his pants in the first place.

So, here were Sokka's options—should he risk his reputation, his friends, the respect of everyone he ever knew and cared about just to get really, really close to Suki? Was it even worth it?

Oh hell yes.

So the boy ventured a quick peek outside his tent. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he tiptoed out and towards the large boulder that was conveniently placed right in front of his makeshift living quarters. He stalked around beside it and, pressing up against the cold exterior of the stone, he quietly (and in a very ninja-esque sort of way) managed to take a short glance over to the tents of the others. (Katara and Zuko thought they were the only ones who could be like ninja. Ha.) Now to find Suki…

Fortunately for Sokka, she found him.

Actually, she found him so well that he ended up on his butt, staring up at her with a terrified and somewhat confused expression on his face. Nevermind that it was the middle of the night and the boy was completely pantless with his girlfriend standing over him. That wasn't kinky at all.

Suki shushed him. "Sokka." Pulling him to his feet, she said, "Let's go back to your tent for a while."

The boy could only nod.

The couple got inside, and Sokka pulled the golden curtains shut. "I just hope nobody interrupts us this time," he muttered.

"What was that?" Suki asked.

"Oh… nothing."

She let out a hum and looked around the room. "Wow, Sokka," she said, somewhat surprised. "Roses? Scented candles? This stuff is really beautiful."

The tribesman made his way over to her. "Yeah… It would've been better if you had shown up first instead of Zuko."

Suki's eyebrow shot up considerably. "Zu… oh, never mind. I'm sure you'll tell me sooner or later."

He shot back, "Well, considering how random and exceedingly awkward our following conversation was, I hope it's OK if I keep it to myself for just a little bit longer."

"That bad, huh?"

"Let's just say I would rather bathe in vulture-wasp gunk, drink a whole gallon of cactus juice, and be chased off a cliff by a rabid man-eating platypus bear than have to go through that conversation ever again."

The blue-eyed girl nodded. "Wow. That's… considerably bad."

He sighed and smoothly wrapped an arm around Suki's slim shoulders. "Yes, it was," Sokka said mournfully. "Quite tragic, actually. I think I'm scarred for life."

"I'm sure Zuko feels the same way." The Kyoshi girl turned to face Sokka, running a hand through his long brown hair. "Now, I can't do anything for Zuko, but I might be able to help you erase that horrible old memory tonight."

Their faces were so close together that Sokka could feel his girlfriend's warm breath across his lips. "Really…?" he whispered, trying to fight back all the urges he felt coursing through his body. "How you gonna do that?"

Suki purred, "By making some new—and much more pleasant ones—tonight." In a moment, she had captured his lips with hers, and her nimble fingers were shamelessly traveling up and down his warm body. He growled and kissed her back, pouring every ounce of passion he had into returning her kiss and her affections. Suki responded with a pleased moan.

They finally had to pull apart for air. "You know," Suki said breathlessly, "I think this is going rather well."

"Really?" The tanned boy grinned wickedly. "Because I think I still have some bad memories back here… way back in the recesses of my mind. But maybe you could please erase them for me…?"

"With pleasure." And they attacked each other again, hands and mouths working like crazy, months of pent-up love and frustration pouring out in a few short moments. All the while they had been apart—the seemingly endless amount of time they couldn't be together—had been strenuous torture on the both of them. Suki and Sokka were finally together again, and to say they were making up for lost time was an understatement of epic proportions.

(Like saying Azula was slowly becoming a tad bit mentally unstable.)

Suki wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, content to sit in his lap and allow him to please her. Sokka's tongue flicked teasingly at the edge of her lips, and she opened her mouth a little, allowing him entrance. Suki felt her chest contracting with each moment that passed; breathing through her nose was no longer efficient. Gasping and breathless, she pulled away quickly but very reluctantly. Sokka rested his forehead on hers, and dark cerulean met icy blue.

I love you. They smiled.

Suki squealed as Sokka took her by surprise, pinning her to the ground underneath him and capturing her mouth in his. She squirmed and fussed but never stopped kissing him back. He simply lay on top of her, giving her signs and filling her with a sense of love and want that she had never experienced before.

When they broke apart for air again, the Kyoshi girl gasped, "Wait… stop for a second."

The southern boy paused. "What? What's wrong?"

Suki wrapped her arms around his neck but couldn't meet his questioning gaze. "…Nothing. It's just…" she squirmed. "Do you think we should be doing this?"

Sokka was taken aback and allowed himself to slide off of his girlfriend. He lay next to her and gazed at Suki apprehensively, afraid that his dream would soon be ending. "What do you mean? I love you, and you love me back, right? I don't really see any problem—"

"Well, what I mean is… What if somebody catches us?"

Sokka leaned in to kiss her passionately on the lips. "I'm willing to take that risk," he murmured. The Water Tribe teen nearly exploded in sexual frustration when she pushed him away.

"It's not that, Sokka. I guess… well, I just have some concerns. What if I get pregnant?" The boy wanted to chuckle at that, but Suki's large blue eyes were nothing but dead serious and a little bit scared. "Or," she continued, "what if we give each other some life-threatening disease? I love you, Sokka… but I just don't think I'm really ready for something like this."

The dark boy felt his stomach drop. He gulped, still fully aware of the almost painful burning and tightening sensation in his lower abdomen. Sokka was frustrated and angry, but he was also upset with himself for thinking Suki would want to do something this important with him, of all people.

She said she wasn't ready.

Well, OK then.

The Water Tribesman struggled to keep the shake of emotion out of his voice. "Um, sure. If you don't think you're ready… I guess there's always Plan B for me, anyway." He grimaced at the thought of how he would get rid of his… er, reaction to Suki.

The auburn-haired girl smiled grimly. "Yeah, so don't wanna know." She was seemingly down and melancholic, running her slim fingers through his long hair. He shuddered. "I'm sorry," she muttered softly. "It was so cruel of me to lead you on like that, and then have you disappointed. I just… can't believe you would actually agree with me. You know, most guys would beg and plead and try to convince their girlfriends to stay and sleep with them." She offered a coy smile.

Sokka scrunched up his face. "I was never into that begging and pleading stuff. And besides," he added cautiously, "it's your life and your virginity. You can do whatever you want with them. Who am I to dictate that?" The teen was actually very proud of himself. He was composed and cool on the outside, though on the inside he was absolutely dying. Sokka gave himself a mental pat on the back for keeping his hormones so well under control.

Though when she looked at him like that…

No. He shook his dark head. Bad thoughts, bad thoughts. Not good at all.

Suki shrugged and said softly, "I guess."

Sokka sighed and rested a hand on his girlfriend's arm. "Look, Suki… it's not like I don't want to have sex with you. In fact, every cell in my body is screaming at me, 'What in the world are you thinking, man? Just go ahead and sleep with her already!' But it's your choice, and whatever you decide—" he swallowed and mentally prepared himself for his own sexual torture later, "—I'm fine with that. I'm not going to push you into something you don't want."

The warrior girl gave a huge grin. "Thank you so much, Sokka," she said, planting a huge kiss on his lips. "You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you for respecting me."

"Mm-hmm." Though Sokka was, truly, quite miserable at the moment.

He watched as the female warrior wriggled her way out of his grip, gathered her things, and made her way to the tent opening. "I love you, Sokka," she said. "And maybe someday we can pick up where we left off."

All the southern teen could do was nod and hang his head in misery. Dang… maybe he could still convince her to stay. Seduce her with his wit and charm, or his sexy lady handling skills…

Who was he kidding. He had no skills. That's why the only chance of him ever getting laid in his lifetime was walking out the door.

Sokka cradled his head in his hands. "Dang…" he muttered. Well, he really screwed that one up.

Though he'd rather be screwing her over…

Spirits! Where in the world did he get these things?! He was so stupidly hopeless…

Even though Suki was gone, Sokka continued to stare at the golden flaps of the tent, still wondering what to do with himself and his pent-up sexual frustration. It was not easy, being a guy. And sometimes being attracted to Suki was… painful. And not being able to fulfill things that he wanted—well, that wasn't necessarily much fun, either.

There was so much testosterone and hormones pumping through his system, Sokka was tempted to just stand up and run after her; jump her inside her own tent and not stop until he had completely seduced her and gotten his way. But… that would be rude and impolite, not to mention barbaric. He thought himself a man, but he wasn't obsessive like that. He would just have to wait.

So Sokka took a deep, calming breath (which was surprisingly difficult considering how high on sex he was) and lay back down, trying to content himself with waiting for another day.

He didn't have to wait long.

An explosion of red burst through his tent, creating a small whirlwind that almost blew out all his candles. He gaped as his return girlfriend began showering him with kisses. Up and down the jaw, on the lips, nose, and eyelids.

"I love you," she moaned between each teasing nip. Sokka, who finally thought it might be possible to get a handle on himself once again, found his pantsless body going completely crazy over Suki's affections. He shivered and pulled her onto him, tangling his fingers into her hair and running a hand up and down her back.

When they finally came apart, he looked bewildered. "OK, now I'm confused. Happy, but confused." Oh, the irony of his choice of words.

Suki only smiled, cupping his face in her soft hand. "I was testing you, stupid," she said lightly, as if the whole thing were one big joke.

"I… wait, what? A test?" Sokka seemed to consider this for a moment before saying carefully, "So, did I pass?"

The Kyoshi warrior giggled. "Yes, Sokka. You passed. And with flying colors, too."

He grinned stupidly. "Awesome."

"Mm-hmm. You proved to me that not only could you do my body good, but you could also control yourself enough to put my wants before your own." She leaned down and kissed him slowly, passionately. "And I love you for that."

Sokka couldn't help but grunt in pleasure. "So… does this mean I get a reward or something for my exceptionally high test score?"

Suki gave a coy smile. "Maybe," she purred, running a soft finger down his bare chest. And as she captured Sokka's lips with her own, the boy pushed aside all gender roles and sexist thoughts he may have had previously. Because right here, right now, his very hot, very real girlfriend was willing to go all the way with him. With him, of all people! And lying on the ground with Suki straddling him, legs wrapped around his waist and fingers entangled in his hair, Sokka realized he wouldn't have it any other way.

Because this was the way it was supposed to be—Suki could definitely beat the crap out of him, but no one could kiss like she could. And she took his breath away. She could whoop his butt any day of the week, and he was perfectly OK with that. Because once he got her into his tent… well, let's just say some things are better off left behind closed doors—er, tent curtains.