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Toph and Penance are back at their campsite. Sokka has to admit he isn't quite sure where this Metropolis is any more, or if they're even driving in the right direction -- but nobody really minds. There's plenty of food and water around, they've still got heaps of spare fuel, and all four teens are having the time of their lives racketing around the countryside.

Currently Claire is teaching Sokka a few more of the finer points of driving. Or at least, that's their excuse. There's a lot of laughing and the occasional squeal -- WHICH IS TOTALLY NOT FROM SOKKA, NUH UH -- as they rattle along the road and occasionally come to a screeching halt.

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"Good," Sokka says, a little quieter.

"...because I don't."

"Do you? Want me to?"

Claire smiles again, almost shyly, and runs her hand up his arm to rest it on his shoulder.

"No."

"So ... you don't mind if I kiss you?" Sokka asks, grin now bright enough to shame the sun.

Claire laughs quickly and fondly, thought she stops herself in case it sounds like she's making fun of him.

No one's ever asked before.

"I don't mind."

Sokka eyes her for a moment -- does she want him to, or does she just not mind?

... but he wants to kiss her, and he totally has permission.

So he does.

EEEEE KISSING.

She was expecting it, which is a welcome first, and she had time to expect it, but Claire likes kissing.She leans into him, passionately and enthusiastic, as her hand reachs up to cup his head.

Hey, he's good at this.

That's totally not just not minding. Sokka would beam, but his mouth's occupied.

Occupied with warm soft good-smelling beautiful Claire.

"Mmm," he informs her, sliding his hand further into her hair in return and pulling her a little closer with the arm around her waist.

Claire would toally say 'mmmm' back, except he's pulling her closer and she's coming closr and...

...she has no grip on the mud, and suddenly she's falling over.

Sokka finds this hilarious.

For the fraction of a second before his own feet slip with the addition of Claire's weight and he lands on his back in the mud beneath her, anyway.

Then he just thinks it's a little funny. It'd be less funny, but he's still got his arms around Claire and that makes everything awesome.

"...whoops."

Claire tries to be angry or annoyed or something, but she's outright giggling, even covered in mud.

"This is totally your fault."

"Okay," Sokka agrees amiably, and frees one hand from her side to smear a little more mud on her face. "I'll grant that."

GIANT GRIN.

Claire squeals and tries to fight off his mud attack. She doesn't do a very good job of him, because he's stronger than her.

"Stoppit!" she protests, still laughing.

He isn't trying very hard. But she does look terribly pretty all muddy. At least, judging by the way he's laughing at her.

"C'mon, we should probably get up."

So he can kiss her again. :D?

Yeah, OK.

Claire struggles briefly in the mud, falling down at least once before she gets up, but she has a manly man to help her after all.

And then, yeah. there can be kissing. Muddy kissing.

Sokka couldn't be happier. This is the BEST DAY EVER.

(He can't wait to tell the old Sokka about this, either. She really likes him!)

But eventually, it occurs to him -- during a break in kissing -- that there's something weird about the lump on the ground in the field behind them, over by the old pigcow trough.

Claire now has her arms around his waist, resting on each other rather than (as if she would!) anything lower, no matter how firm it is.

So when he stops and is looking somewhere, she can't see it without moving, so doesn't.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure."

He grins at her, arms likewise securely and properly around her waist.

"It's not as pretty as you."

"Smooth," Claire said, with only minimal snark. Because she is really flattered, after all.

EEEEEEEEE SHE HAS A BOYFRIEND EEEEEEEEEE

"You wanna go check it out?"

"That's me," Sokka says, beaming at her. It would be a smirk, but he's too happy. "Mister Smooth.

"I guess we should."

That, unfortunately, means detaching herself from strong manly teenage arms, which Claire does very reluctantly, sliding her hands down to take his hand in hers.

"Where?"

"Over there, by the pig trough. It kind of looks like ..."

... what it kind of looks like becomes clearer as they climb the ditch hand in hand and wriggle through the wire fence.

"... a body."

Claire's hand tightens on his, quickly, then she does something stupidly brave.

She lets go and steps forward to get a better look.

He's right, it is a body.

A body of a girl about their age, with the top of her head sliced cleanly through, exposing an empty skull.

"Oh no..."

That's not shock. That's recognition.

"Claire? Are you ..."

Sokka' voice trails off into silence, and he doesn't manage to complete the movement of stepping forward to put his arms around her waist.

Claire's hands fumbles backwards for his, and when they find them they cling tightly.

"Sylar," she whispers.

Sokka doesn't respond for several seconds, his face a very pale shade of brown.

After that long, long moment, though, he swallows and his fingers curl slowly around hers.

"Who's ..." he asks faintly, not taking his eyes off the figure on the ground, "... who's Sylar?"