It seemed that all everyone wanted to do was talk about the defeat of Ozai.

Thanks, but no thanks, he thought bitterly. Nearly all of his failures were associated with the fall of the Fire Nation. He'd been too weak to ignore Azula during the Day of Black Sun. He'd been too weak to stop the airfleet as it barreled its way to Ba Sing Se. He'd been too weak to save her.

The thought made his heart clench. She was sitting in silence, her green robes impeccable, not five feet from him. It wasn't close enough. Since he'd nearly lost her on the airship, he hadn't wanted to let her out of his sight.

Luckily she was blind and couldn't see him staring at her all the time. She claimed she felt it, though.

Sokka shook his head. He knew that wasn't possible. He scooted a little to his right, inching closer to her in what he thought was an extremely stealthy move.

"Snoozles, you can't sneak up on me," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"I wasn't trying to!" he denied hotly. A rock in his stomach was his only response. "Ouch!"

"Wimp," she muttered.

"Tell me again why I love you?" he whined at her and she just laughed.

"Because I won't accept anything else?" she teased. He smiled.

Let the others talk about the past all they wanted. He would leave his failures and his shame behind in those days and never look back. All he wanted now was the present, with her.