Title: Festival Cakes
Rating: G
Pairing: Sokka/Toph
Word Count: 2069
Summary: Toph has got to stop making relationship decisions without telling Sokka.
A/N: Thanks to Jin for the beta! This was originally written for the AtLA Secret Santa exchange on LJ.
Sokka hadn't had much cause to go back to Gaoling in the past ten years. It was a nice enough town, he supposed. No one there had ever tried to kill him or make him eat uncooked dough, so he figured that it was actually one of the better towns he had hit back in his – and, okay, Aang's - world saving days. But it had no particular political importance. It wasn't close to the front lines of the war, nor had it suffered during the literal scorched earth attack on the day the comet came. Their biggest claim to fame, actually, was hosting the now annual and almost reputable Earth Rumbles.
That Gaoling was also the birthplace of a certain cranky and tenacious blind earthbender had slipped by unnoticed for much of the world. That mostly had a lot to do with Toph breaking the knees of anyone who brought it up.
Which again made Sokka wonder just what the hell he was doing in Gaoling, in formal robes and high collar, on Toph's arm as they were led into her parent's dining room.
And it wasn't that he didn't enjoy her company. Hardly that. Ever since Katara and Aang's wedding a few years back, he and Toph had sorta had a thing. A really good thing. It was fun, it was sexy, it did not involve telling their parents about it.
It also didn't involve getting serious, despite all those nagging feelings he had to fight back when he heard wedding firecrackers on the streets of Ba Sing Se or saw a man carving a betrothal necklace in the north. He had absolutely no idea what had changed.
"Toph, seriously," he hissed. "Joke's up."
"Shut up and look pretty," Toph replied. She was 'looking' straight ahead, head held primly upright and steady to balance the elaborate hair ornament she wore. Pieces dangled into her face, rattling and jingling as she walked. She looked perfectly composed, not a single tic of anger crossing her face. It was scary.
"You think I look pretty?" Sokka tried. Classic set up. In the other days, it would have her howling with laughter for conning him yet again.
Not a single twitch.
'Double happiness' above the door to the dining room wasn't precisely the first sign Sokka'd had that something was seriously awry this evening, but it was definitely the breaking point. Eyes glued to the red shuangxi above the door, he pulled futilely against Toph's grip. She dug in her fingers, all invisible beneath the wide sleeve of her robe, and Sokka could feel prickles in his palm as his hand began to lose feeling. She jerked her arm and, like a string pulled too taut, he snapped to her side, crossing the threshold into the dining room. Her parents awaited.
So did his dad.
Sokka's eyes went wide and all his struggles stopped abruptly. If not for Toph's grip, he was pretty sure he'd be on the floor, slipping into hysterical unconsciousness. Wait, maybe he could do that standing up.
Toph elbowed him in the side. She dropped his arm, bowing low to her parents and then Hakoda.
"I'm honored you could come," she said to the floor.
She's what with the huh? Sokka's brain was very slow to catch up. When it did, he darted looks between his father and Toph.
"You knew? You set this all up together, didn't you!"
That didn't make any kind of sense, but none of this did. Sokka had really thought he and Toph were over with months ago. She'd fallen out of communication with him and even though their relationship had always been very casual, very take it as it comes, he'd felt that was an end for them. Particularly after their very drunken gambling stint in the Fire Nation capital just last month had ended with both of them fully clothed, sleeping on the floors of separate rooms in the palace. Seemed like a break up to him.
"Sokka," Hakoda cut in. He crossed his arms, giving his son a stern look. Sokka stood his ground, lifting his chin defiantly. "That's no way to talk to your betrothed."
"My what?" Sokka screeched. To be fair, he had actually figured that part out already, but that didn't make it land any softer on his ears. He looked again to Toph, desperately this time. "What is going on?"
Toph clenched her jaw and turned solidly to face him. She tilted her faces up – not to look at him, of course, but to show she wasn't afraid of anything. He could read every emotion on her face. His anger melted away, leaving only bafflement. He reached out, brushing his fingers across her cheek. A small smile twitched at the corner of her mouth.
"Okay, you got me," she said with false cheer. "Game's up. Guess we're not getting hitched after all. That's a relief."
Ying Su Bei Fong made disappointed sounds, folding her hands demurely in her lap before looking to her husband. He had a rather more sour expression on his face, although not quite enough to actually do anything. He looked resigned, but Sokka reminded himself that this was a man who had once sent bounty hunters after the Avatar himself to retrieve his daughter. Sokka smiled placatingly at the man, holding up his hands to ward him off. He wasn't actually afraid of him, or anything. Like, not in a fighting sense. But man did he not want to deal with a trade embargo.
"Sokka, I have been speaking with Toph's parents," Hakoda explained with a nod to each. "We've come to a marital agreement for you and Toph. It's time you two settled down together. This dinner was meant to finalize the details."
"But we don't even do arranged marriages, Dad!"
"It's hardly arranged," Lao Bei Fong said. He looked rather affronted at the thought. "You and Toph already know each other!"
Sokka smacked his forehead with his hand and then winced. Maybe not the best gesture to be making right now.
"Toph, come on, back me up here. We don't need this!"
He tossed a look over to her, only to see her lips sealed tightly closed. She toed her foot into the floor, earthbending out a large divot.
"You aren't getting any younger, Sokka," Hakoda said. "You know what they say about festival cakes after twenty five…"
Okay, he couldn't even deal with this. He grabbed Toph's hand. He would throw her over his shoulder if need be, but they were getting the hell out of there to have a talk. Luckily, Toph didn't struggle. Even the blustering voice in his head knew full damn well he'd lose big time if he had to fight her.
Glowering back at the shocked faces of Toph's parents and his own father, he inclined his head.
"If you'll excuse us..." he said, smile tight on his face.
He marched out of the house, past surprised guards, and outside. He walked over the garden bridge, feet heavy on the stone while Toph's were measured and even. Not like her at at all. They walked past manicured bushes up to the very edge of the property. He glared directly at the stone wall before dropping Toph's hand and rounding on her.
"What was that? I thought you broke up with me!"
Toph shrugged sullenly.
"Guess our parents didn't get the memo."
Actually, as far as Sokka had known, their parents hadn't actually been aware of the relationship at all. He hadn't intended to keep it a secret, but once the ball got rolling he'd been sure not to mention it to his father to avoid the eventual lecture on manhood and honorable behavior. Which, yes, did seem to have backfired a bit.
"Toph, you can't just do this! You can't break up with me and shut me out and then propose!" Sokka said. He winced almost immediately as he heard his own words, watching the shuttered expression that passed over her face.
"You call this a proposal?" she asked, snorting indelicately. And there she was, sarcastic and unruffled and fake as the winter nights were long. This meant something to her, he knew that. Toph never did what her parents wanted her to do – even if it was something she wanted. So there was definitely something bigger afoot here.
"I don't know what to call this!" he said. He watched her lack of reaction for a moment before diving ahead. Honesty had always had a way of getting to her. "You know, this is exactly why I wasn't surprised you broke up with me. You're my best friend, Toph. More than that, and you know I love you, but all of this between us? It's never worked. I mean, some things worked. Very well."
"Very well," she agreed. She gave a short, weird laugh, caught somewhere between actual amusement and tears.
Sokka gulped back his own feelings to press on. This next bit was going to sting.
"But not the relationship part. We hang out, we have fun, and then we say goodbye. We never talk anymore, Toph. Maybe breaking up is the right thing. I just want my friend back."
"So do I!" Toph burst out. She swiped at her face and then at the stupid charms dangling in her face. Sokka felt his heart lurch at the sight, but he restrained himself from helping. Toph tucked the charms awkwardly behind her ear, reaching out to grab Sokka's hands forcefully. "I know I'm terrible at the emotions and talking stuff. But I thought, maybe…"
Sokka's eyebrow climbed to his hairline. He'd had the idea she was actually involved in all this, but really?
"You thought if we were married we'd talk more? Have you ever met any married people?"
Toph dropped one hand to punch him in the arm and he dropped the other to rub at the forming bruise.
"It works for Aang and Katara!"
"No, they were always like that. And don't tell me you want to be like them, Sweetie."
She shuddered a bit.
"But Zuko and Mai… okay, I see your point."
He shook his head, throwing his hands up.
"So where does that leave us, Toph?"
She looked up at him with wet eyes. Well, more like over his shoulder, but he was pretty used to that.
"I don't want to break up," she said.
Sokka crossed his arms.
"Well, I don't want to get married."
Not yet, anyway.
Toph tilted her head, thinking silently for a moment.
"Boost you over the wall?" she asked.
"Oh yeah."
She grinned up at him. He braced himself, well acquainted with that particular smile. It was usually the harbinger of loud, rumble earthbending, and this time was no different. She grabbed him by the arm – first time it'd felt good all night – before stomping the ground to launch them up on a quick moving spike of earth. She clung to him as they fell and Sokka tucked her close to her side, landing with her half in his arms on the other side of the wall.
He was not altogether in a hurry to put her down.
"Sorry for … you know," she said into his chest. Her hairpiece was poking him awkwardly, but he could deal for the moment.
Sokka nodded solemnly but held up a hand to stop her when she leaned up to kiss him.
"Just so you know, it's just going to be more talking tonight. And from here on out."
Toph didn't reply, just reaching up to tug on his wolf-tail, pulling him into a kiss. A very nice one, actually. Slow and warm, with neither the harshness nor the desperation of their last kiss. The one Sokka had thought meant goodbye. He smiled into the kiss, breaking from it for just a moment to put Toph back down on her feet. Her hands were warm on his shoulders as she settled her feet down with a dainty grace she'd surely kill him if he spoke of.
"I've always loved you," she said softly. "You know that, right?"
Sokka tried to think of the romantic thing to say. Given the whole break-up/wedding mix-up, he hadn't, really.
"Not really," he said.
She kicked him – lightly, which was sweet of her.
"Well, don't forget it!"
He leaned down, kissing her again. He had no intention of forgetting.