Realizations

"So let me get this straight, you and Suki fought, again, she kicked you out, and instead of going to your sister and your best friend's you come here." Toph's hands rested on her hips as she listened to Sokka.

"But you're my best friend, my talented, ass kicking, and most powerful earth bender of all time best friend." He looked pleadingly at her, forgetting she could not see his expression. His face fell. "Please let me crash on your couch. " Sokka ended, pathetically.

Laughing, Toph stepped aside letting Sokka into her apartment. The rooms were understandably bare, with only essential furnishings. Everything had a stone or metal base, so that she could find her way around her apartment.
"What'd you two fight about this time?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Sokka groaned, lowering himself down on her couch and throwing his long legs over the arm and his arm over his face.

"Man up, you sleep on my couch you talk. Do you want tea?" She sat next to him and began massaging her feet.

"Tea would be wonderful." He looked up at her, and noticed for the first time since arriving that her thick black hair hung down her back instead of in its normal high bun. It framed her face and fell into her soft milky eyes.

"Great, the tea pot is on the counter, make it up." She smiled sarcastically down at him. Sokka laughed and got up to make the tea.

"What happened between you and Suki?" Toph questioned.

"Uh, well it's awkward."

"Why do think I want to know. Come on meathead, spill." She stood, walked to the kitchen, unaware of how the water tribesman watched her hips sway against the soft fabric of her tunic as she walked.

He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, "Well we've been growing apart for some time, ever since I found out about her fling with Zuko, and last night I found out all the 'Kioshi missions' she's been going on were all to meet up with some earth bender." The tea kettle whistled, and Sokka poured two cups. He slid one across the table to Toph. "That's about all I could take, so I broke it off."

Toph spit out her tea.

"That's why I didn't go to Aang and Katara, they'd try to talk me into taking her back." He sipped his tea and sighed.

"You don't want that? I mean you and Suki have been together since you were both 15."

Sokka swallowed his tea, "I realized something though, my heart didn't start pounding when she walked in the room, I didn't get butterflies in my stomach when someone mentioned her name. I wasn't in love with her anymore, and she obviously felt the same or she wouldn't have cheated." He sighed and rested his head on his right hand. "I realized all that stuff happened: the accelerated heartbeat, the butterflies in my stomach," he looked directly at her, "when you were around Toph."

She sat in stunned science, unable to comprehend what she was hearing.

"I know this probably isn't what you want to hear, but," Sokka sighed, "I needed to say it."

Toph didn't move, she just stood there in a shocked silence.

"If you want me to go to Aang and Katara's I will."

She shook herself, "No, don't go! I mean, if you go Twinkle Toes will try his 'avatar diplomacy' on you two. Also, I-"

Sokka smiled, "Does the great BaiFong have a soft spot for me." He was met with a swift punch to the arm.

"Obviously, meathead." That was not the response he was expecting. "You're the only one who hasn't noticed." A heavy blush crept across her face and she turned away crossing her arms across her stomach, insecurely.

"Wait, what y-you" Sokka stumbled toward his best friend and softly touched her arm.

"Sokka,"she turned, her hair flinging out around her, "I've had a crush on you since before the end of the war, hell, I've been in half in love with you for years but you and Suki were so strong. Every freaking time you two fought I got my hopes up. What makes this time and different, because in the past you just go running back to each other and there's some make up sex and you're makes this time any different?" She reached up and softly ran her hand up through his hair, letting it out of its warrior wolf tail. He leaned into her hand softly closing his eyes.

"Toph," he whispered "it's you. You're making it different."

"How can I be sure, the second the breakup really hits you you'll be running back to Suki begging to be taken back, and she'll do it, cheat again,and you'll be running back here getting my hopes up and-" as she kept talking he thought she might start to cry. He was the only one who'd seen her cry, ever. They confided everything to the other person, sometimes Sokka thought he knew her better than she knew herself.

He leaned down and kissed her softly on her forehead. She suddenly stopped talking, her unseeing eyes starring up at him. He held her face in his large, warm hands. Tentatively he took half a step forward up on her tip-toes and pressed her lips softly to his. He responded almost immediately, kissing her back, his hand entangling itself in her hair. Her fingers wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer.

They parted and he pressed his forehead to hers. "Do you believe me now?" He whispered into her ear. She laughed quietly, more of an exhale than a laugh. "Prove it again meathead." Toph grabbed his face, pressing her lips to his, through a smile.

Author's Note

Thanks for the positive feedback on my first piece, Confessions. While this piece is unrelated, it does tackle a similar concept. I like to think they're much younger in this one (Sokka about 24, Toph about 21). If you enjoyed this story please leave a review, or a prompt for another one-shot.

Thank you for reading,

Avionyx