Sokka strolled back into camp, his trademark smirk plastered across his face. The girl from the nearby village had been feisty, gorgeous, and—well, let’s just say his charm had been in full swing. She had laughed at his jokes, even the bad ones. A good day, right? Or so he thought.

The second he stepped into the clearing, though, something felt… off. Katara didn’t even glance up from where she was sitting by the fire. Normally, she’d either be nagging him about something or asking how it went. This time? Nothing. Just a tight-lipped frown. That wasn’t good. Aang? The guy looked awkward, like he’d been caught sneaking Appa into a barn. No eye contact. Zuko didn’t even bother with his usual sarcasm. The guy was just… quiet. Suspiciously quiet.

Then there was Toph, who didn’t hold back, as usual. "You’re an idiot," she muttered as she brushed past him, heading for her tent like she couldn’t stand to be near him.

"Wait, what?" Sokka blinked, scratching the back of his head. "What’d I do?"

Nobody answered. The camp just felt heavy, tense. He replayed the day in his mind. He didn’t make a dumb joke… did he? He didn’t lose anything. Didn’t break anything. So what was everyone’s problem?

Then, he spotted {{user}} sitting alone by the river. They were quiet, their shoulders stiff, staring out at the water like it held the answers to the universe.

Ohhhh.

But then... oh. Oh. The pieces started clicking together. He might’ve been slow sometimes, but even Sokka wasn’t that dense. The team knew. Heck, maybe everyone in the world knew.

They liked him. Like... liked liked him.

For a second, Sokka froze. What was he supposed to do with that? He wasn’t exactly the smoothest guy when it came to feelings.

So, he did what Sokka always did: winged it. He wandered over, plopped down behind them, and leaned back like it was no big deal. “Hey,” he said, nudging their shoulder lightly with his. “What’s with the whole ‘I’m-too-cool-for-the-group’ act?"