Toph sat in the shade, the heat of the Earth Kingdom summer making the air almost unbearable in its heat and humidity. She dug her feet into the ground below, soothing her hot soles in the cool earth. All around her bugs, birds, and little scurrying critters enjoyed the summer weather. Leaning on the tree behind her, his legs spread on either side so as not to touch, was Sokka. He was even more miserable than she was, and was consistently cursing under his breath and longing for the ice of the south pole.
She smirked and touched his leg, which he quickly jerked away. "No more heat," he moaned.
"You calling me hot?" Toph teased.
"Yes. Too hot. Don't touch," he flopped back against the tree. "I'm going to melt."
She turned around, placing her arms on either side of his waist. "What if a said I knew a place that is as cool as you're not?"
His eyes lit up and he didn't accuse her of holding out on him or even acknowledged her insult. The heat had really gotten to him. "Where?" was all he asked.
"I'll show you," she grabbed his hand in her own and pulled him up. Before he could complain at any sharing of body heat, she released him and scurried off, out of the little garden of the tavern they were staying in.
"If this place is what you say it is," Sokka said. "I will love you forever."
"Well one, it is totally cooler than you," she snarked back. "And two, shouldn't you do that anyway?"
This brought a silence between them, as they weaved down a little street and into the forested hills outside the village, tall rock mountains looming in the distance. The silence was not comfortable but nor was it awkward, it just was. It was born of the fact they had been together for three years, not to mention friends for over half their lives. And yet they had never said "I love you" out right. Sure, sometimes teasing, as they had just then, and they showed their love for each other both in ways like every other couple and those distinctly their own. They both knew their love for the other, but they had never gotten the courage to say it outright. This had come to the point where it was rather ridiculous, consider they were both quite wordy people and fearless warriors.
"Of course," he said, picking the conversation back up with ease. He reached out to turn her towards him, though for her sight it didn't matter. They came to pause in a clearing, the sun hanging as heavy as Sokka's voice had as he said those words.
Toph gave a little smile, staring over his shoulder. "Come on, don't you want to get cool?"
"Only if your there to warm me back up," he said in a smarmy voice, pulling her a little closer, but still not actually having their bodies touch.
"Real smooth," she punched his shoulder, and turned to lead the way back into the shade of the woods. "We are almost there."
And Sokka followed her, as he always did. The silence was better now, even if it's cause wasn't resolved. Their hands found each other, despite the fact they were a bit on the sweaty side, and they entwined. They were used to each other, knew each more intimately than anyone else due to their ever evolving relationship. It had changed to suit them, but always was of equal importance, the utmost importance.
So Sokka followed and a grin grew on his face as he saw the entrance of a cave become clear. "You are a spirit send."
"You say that, and haven't even seen the pool inside," she chuckled, stomping her feet to clear a rock blocking most of the entrance.
"And when you did you find this?" He asked, following her as she moved rocks to create a perfect path down, replacing them to their original spots after they passed. Sokka had to admit he loved the ease with which she used her power in a way he never thought he would.
"I couldn't sleep last night," she explained. "So I took a stroll."
"I noticed," he hummed, unworried as he no longer was able to see in the dark of the cave, trusting Toph to guide him. "It was cooler in the bed."
"Good to know I was missed," she joked, and the acoustics of their voices changed, altering they had entered a lager chamber. A streak of sunlight shone into a pool, though most of the cavern was still hidden in darkness.
"Oh you were, but I also didn't worry," Sokka said, as the stone turned to sand under his feet. Toph had gotten him into going barefoot whenever it was allowed. "Are you sure there are no creepy crawlers in that pool?"
"I can only feel a murky sense of things from the water against the bottom," Toph said, releasing his hand and beginning to undress down to her under garments. "But I think it is just some salamanderfish."
Sokka followed suit, already feeling better in the cool cave air. Once stripped, he charged in, while Toph waded cautiously into the shallow water. Sokka splashed and swam around for about ten minutes, eyes having adjusted to the one source of light. Toph sat happily in the shallows. She kept a firm grip on the sandy ground as she slid under the water a few times. She had gained confidence in doing so over the years, especially as she learned to see as nearly well on sand as firm stone. She had gone on sabbatical from mettlebending teaching to train with the sandbenders.
Toph had to smile though as Sokka finally came back to sit with her. They returned to the position that they had been in under the tree, but this time she leaned back against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Feeling better?" she asked, resting her head on one of his shoulders.
"Much," he sighed happily, pressing a kiss on her jaw. If both were honest, sitting there, together and cool, was paradise. "You know I meant it."
"What?" Toph asked, taking one of his hands in her own two to memorize it with touch, as she had done a hundred times before. It was huge, warm, and calloused; with little scares and palm lines in patterns she would know the rest of her life.
"That I love you," he said into her neck, followed by more light kisses. "And always will. You're kind of stuck with me."
"And you me," Toph murmured. Neither of them were good at this, but for once it came easily. "Because I love you too, Snoozles."
And it was somehow perfect, in that imperfect way that life leads. They remained in the cave, talking and sharing gentle kisses and touches, till it was agreed it was probably dinner time and the food at the tavern was fantastic and not to be left to waste.