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I don't own ATLA :'(
The Knot Chapter One:
Destiny
There it was. In his dreams every night. In the back of his mind every moment of every day. It haunted him more than he would care to admit. It invaded his dreams, his mind, and he hated it. He hadn't had a pleasant dream since before the attack the South Pole had suffered, the one that had taken his mother. A feeling of distrust had been in every situation that involved his friend, the new Firelord. It was a feeling of distrust that stuck with him ever since that day when he was nine.
Even though he was nine, he still remembered his mother vividly, at least he thought he did. Every time he tried to picture her, he only saw the figure of his sister. Katara was the strongest person he knew. He hated to admit it, but without Katara, Sokka would be lost
Snapping Sokka out of his thoughts, a woman, significantly shorter than him, walked past. His jaw gaped open, his eyes followed her. "Snoozles, close your mouth. You'll catch flies." She said, closing his mouth with her palm.
Sokka was stunned. She was—he hated to say it—beautiful. Toph was no long the little girl that he had met three years ago. He had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that she would no longer be just his best friend.
The soft blue dress she wore firmly brought to attention the fact that she was all curves and soft lines. Wow she had changed! Her face was relatively clear of makeup except for the red lip paint that colored her full lips.
Just play it cool Sokka. The man thought as he melted into the couch, trying to look comfortable. Toph even walked differently. She walked like a lady.
"Wh-what are you doing here?" He said a lot less smoothly than he had intended.
Toph sat just a little too close. "Are you saying you're not happy to see me?" She asked, a mischievous smile slipping onto her face.
Sokka swallowed uncomfortably. "I'm happy to see you, but it's just been so long. Is there a specific reason you're here?"
Toph's face became void of any upbeat expression. "I-I'm cut off. M-my parents kicked me out until I agree to marry this s-stuffy old guy." The stone cold Earthbender broke down into his shirt.
It scared him to see her like this. He was the imperfect one. He was the one who was broken. He made mistakes. He was the one who broke down into a thousand little pieces. It was him whose soul would perforate into thousands of different pieces. He was the one whose direction would become muddled with each passing day. It was his job to be imperfect; his job to be blemished and flawed, not hers. When roles changed between the two them, panic and anxiety crawled into his heart and began to tear him down from the inside
Sokka took a shaky hand and began to stroke her let down hair. It was soft and black like the midnight sky. "It's okay Toph."
"I'm so scared. I've never felt this way before." She said, picking her face up from his shirt. This action revealed glistening eyes and puffy cheeks. Sokka's reached out and wiped away the single tear rolling down her cheek.
"It's okay, I'm here. You don't need to worry anymore." These words surprised him; it was as if someone else had said them.
The small, shaking shape in his arms seemed to nod. This made him feel better.
Her hands wove a story with the interweaving motion of fingers into fingers. His soft palm tightly held hers.
"I love you." He whispered into her hair, gently kissing her head about an inch above her ear.
"I love you too." She said, a true smile creeping upon her stone-like face.
The knot was tied like a noose around his neck. He was in love. Not the kind of love he had shared with Suki, not the kind of love he had found in Yue, but the kind of love that you didn't realize until it was too late, until you had already dug your grave. Well, he had decided his destiny, and she had decided hers.
Forever, their destinies would be intertwined.
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