Chapter Text
His lungs pumped as he sprinted for the elevator. The little green arrow flashed on at the end of the hall, taunting him.
Just another second!
Sokka skidded to a halt, barely managing to save himself from smashing his face on the wall. He slammed on the up button. It jammed under his thumb, protesting against the desperate clicking.
C’mon, c’mon, please.
The metal doors slid open silently, uncaring of his panic, revealing an empty box with mirrors smudged from a hundred student’s hands. Sokka fell in, tripping over his laptop case. He turned to press for his level and froze.
Which one was it? Three, yeah, it has to be three.
He clicked the button that had an industrial 3 illuminated in a pasty white.
Please be three.
I can’t fuck this up.
The elevator groaned as it began its ascent. The walls closed in, Sokka’s flushed face on every surface as his frantic pants drowned the air in the box.
I can’t be late, I can’t be late. Why is it taking so long? What if it breaks dow-
The doors slid open.
A breath of fresh air cleansed the suffocating sludge that he had been inhaling. Sokka staggered out frantically, shoving the faceless person out of the way.
‘Sorry!’
Second door to the right after the corner.
He made it into the classroom with seconds to spare. Sokka slid into the first available seat, letting his head collapse on his arms.
An old voice drifted through the room, repeating the warning about ‘ensuring your own attendance’ that Sokka’s high school teachers had engraved in his head since junior year.
‘Welcome to Bachelor of Business Administration studies, students. I ho-...’
Sokka’s heart fell out of his chest and thudded to his feet. His head jerked up like a marionette. He stared at the silenced professor, desperately straining to hear what had faded into background noise.
What.
Business Admini- I’m in technology.
Oh.
Fuck.
The air turned to sludge, thickening within Sokka’s lungs. He slumped on the desk. It pulled at his chest, sticking his throat to its own walls, I screwed up- Did I miss the eleva- No, no, I got on it- what floor am I on, his heart fought against his ribs, its screams echoed in his ears, I can’t be here, I can’t be here, the drone of the professor faded in and out of sound, why was I so-
Something cold pressed against his wrist.
Levelled breathing beside him.
Quiet counting.
‘In two three, hold two three, out two three, hold two three…’
Sokka choked down a breath, falling into the rhythm of box breathing.
The room slowly bled back into focus, harsh whites fading back to overhead lighting. Time grew fuzzy then stilled. The lifeless clock on the wall moved of its own accord. The blur of noise eventually silenced itself into the gentle hum of the professor and the quiet scratching of pens.
The cool metal against his wrist pulled at his attention. A metal water bottle, scratched black paint, was pressed to his arm. The hand holding it there was pale, elegant pianist’s fingers and a strong grip. Rings clacked against the bottle, gold on battered black.
Sokka stared, his forehead pressed to the edge of the desk.
The person next to him shifted in their seat at his lack of reaction.
He sighed but didn’t move. He didn’t think he could.
There was a rustling noise as his neighbour got something out of their bag. Sokka was conscious of his neighbour placing something in front of his head.
The air was like molasses, thick and heavy, when Sokka raised his head. Colourful wrappings overlapped in front of him.
He blinked.
The painful colours solidified into candy wrappers, emblazoned with the whitened word ‘FIZZ’. There was another word above it in smaller writing but Sokka couldn’t bring himself to read it.
His hands were shaking as he swiped at a red wrapper, tearing it open with his teeth. The hard candy clattered across the desk.
The stranger beside him lunged forward to grab it, reaching with his other hand to stop it from falling onto the people in front. Warm fingers pressed the vaguely red ball into his free hand.
Sokka pushed the candy into his mouth, the sour bubbling sensation on his tongue dragging his mind to the cold grasp of clarity.
‘pha-ank yue,’ Sokka tried, stumbling around the words. He kept mumbling, trying to thank the stranger.
They hummed.
‘Of course.’
That voice. Warm and raspy and masculine.
Sokka felt his heart thud. He would have remembered every word his blurred mother had ever told him if she had said it in that voice.
A single vibration cut through his muted thoughts.
His phone.
Sokka scrambled to find it in his bag, accidentally knocking the strangers water bottle under his chair.
Where is it- what if it was Katara-I can’t be here-
Shaking hand fumbled at his cold phone.
The screen lit up.
Not Katara.
A mindless notification was illuminated, the blare of the phone screen harsh against Sokka’s eyes.
Fitbit or something.
He sighed.
A metal clank came from under his chair as he shifted his phone back into his bag. Sokka froze. Terror skittered up his spine mindlessly.
The water bottle.
Sokka grabbed at it, flailing his hand under his chair and knocking the water bottle farther.
-m sorry, ’m sorry, sorry, can’t do anythi- sorry, I’m sorry- sorry, so sorry, ‘m sorry-
The stranger slid it from under their own chair.
Sokka pulled himself upright, trying to mutter a coherent apology and stressing himself further when he couldn’t.
‘S’alright.’
Sokka’s eyes flicked up to the stranger beside him and froze.
Long, dark hair draped over an immaculate maroon turtleneck, defined shoulders parting it halfway. Flawless skin and regal face structure. A scar splashed across their face, marred red and beautiful. A mark of the price of life. Soulful golden eyes caught Sokka’s.
He choked out a breath of wonder.
The stranger’s face flushed, colour tinting their high cheekbones. They cleared their throat self-consciously, looking away.
Sokka didn’t think he could do the same.
The stranger held the water bottle out, over the desk this time, in a silent invitation, eyes still looking away and blush still painting their face. Sokka took it.
He didn’t trust himself not to fall back into the sludge of worry.
The minutes ran at their own will, counting every second as a lifetime and every hour as a faded moment. Sokka stayed where he was.
A loud trilling cut through the air like a knife. Sokka clutched at his head, ears ringing in agony.
People flooded into the hallway.
The stranger guided him out of the classroom and into the rush gently. Their elegant hand was firm on Sokka’s shoulder, pulling him into a cacophony of life. Sokka let them.
‘-n the second floor, third lecture room. Where’s your next class?’
The stranger’s voice was soothing, close to his ear so each word was delightfully clear. Sokka felt himself shiver.
He had to clear his throat twice before any noise came.
‘Third floor. Somewhere. Uh-robotics lab.’
‘The topaz building?’ the stranger guessed.
A pause.
‘Yeah. Yeah-y- that’s the- that’s the one.’
The stranger hummed.
‘You’re in the Ruby building,’ They offered, a little awkwardly.
Sokka’s heart tripped.
This was real, the stranger was real.
They walked together to Sokka’s next class. That shouldn’t have meant anything. It really shouldn’t.
It was sunny between the two buildings. Quite warm too, this early in September. All of the leaves were still green from August, not yet having turned the brilliant yellows that would match the stranger’s eyes so perfectly.
Focus, Sokka.
The stranger only released Sokka’s shoulder when the elevator opened to the third floor.
‘Uh-m, good luck.’
Sokka stared at the stranger’s self-conscious grimace. It looked like they was trying to smile.
Sokka’s breath faltered.
‘Thank you,’ He whispered, his head light and his feelings heavy.
The metal doors closed on the stranger’s small wave, leaving Sokka aching in the hallway of where he was meant to be.