"Stop it Sokka." Toph protested as his fingers cupped the back of her neck and pulled her mouth to his. "Katara'll be here any moment to drop off Lin. She doesn't need to see you crawling all over me."
"As I recall," he said while slowly lying over Toph's body to intensify their kiss. "It was you who was all over me last night." Smiling deviously, his fingertips danced lightly over the skin of her stomach tickling her relentlessly. Her laugh was infectious, causing Sokka to chuckle a little. The sight of her bare stomach, pale and inviting, excited Sokka slightly but he refocused when he remembered who would be here soon.
"Am I interrupting something?" Katara asked pointedly. In their fit of tickling and giggling, they hadn't noticed Katara and five-year-old Lin walk through the door. Or in Lin's case, run through the door. Sokka and Toph hurriedly adjusted themselves on the sofa.
Radiating energy, the small earth bender dropped her belongings by the door and ran to sit on her mother's lap. Toph wrapped her arms around the dark-haired girl and kissed the top of her head. Lin looked at her mom. "Were you guys wrestling again, mommy?"
Her cheeks red, Toph bit her lip while Sokka hastily looked away, avoiding his sister's glare. "Again?" Katara said, stunned. "How often do you two wrestle while Lin's here, Sokka?"
"It was one time!" Now it was Sokka's turn to blush. "And besides," he said coolly "We weren't wrestling this time. If you must know, we were having a tickle fight."
"If you say so manly-man. I've got to take off, Aang is waiting for me and we have some wrestling to do of our own." Toph groaned while Sokka pantomimed throwing up and made barfing sounds.
"All right sweetness, too much information." Katara laughed to herself and walked out the door, flittering her fingers as she went.
"What's up short-stuff?" Sokka asked Lin after she left.
"One day I'm gonna' be taller than you, and then no one's gonna' stop me from beating you up!" Lin shouted with a childish lisp and a small smile; as if to say she meant no real harm.
"What are you talking 'bout? No one stops you now!" he countered, picking her up under her arms so she could sit in his lap.
"Meathead, do you really want me to limit her strength training? I mean come on; you're like her personal punching bag." Toph said teasingly.
"I'm so honored." He replied in a mocking tone. "So what'd you do at school today squirt?" he said now directing his words at Lin. Her lip poked out in the cutest pout Sokka had ever seen before she retorted "Nothin'."
"Oh, come on baby, tell me." Toph pried. Normally, it was strange for Toph to use such pet names which implied her affections and made her seem sappy, but it just seemed fitting when she spoke to Lin, and on some rare occasions, Sokka.
After much debate on whether she wanted to make her mother happy or continue to snub Sokka, Lin ran back to her bag to retrieve a small poster. Toph heard the crinkle of the paper and frowned, realizing she wouldn't be able to see what was on the paper. Knowing this, Lin placed the paper into Sokka's already outstretched hand.
Instead of exploding into praise over Lin's drawing, Sokka stared at the picture speechless, biting down worriedly on his lip.
At the center of the page was a messy drawing of Sokka and Toph both holding Lin's tiny hands. Toph was in a green dress and strangely wearing her chief of police's hat. In Sokka's right hand, he held his boomerang and a bunch of purple flowers, which wasn't surprising seeing as he brought them for Toph often. The real reason Sokka was so stunned was because of the few crooked characters that lined the side of the page spelling out 'My Family' and under Sokka's picture was the word 'Dad'.
"Well, what is it?" Toph said impatiently. "Don't leave the blind girl out."
"Mrs. Kwan told us to make a family portrait." Lin replied, unphazed by Sokka's silence.
"And?"
"And she wrote 'Dad' under me." He said cautiously wondering if this would anger Toph like so many things did. Toph's reaction wasn't anger but shock and weariness. She gasped slightly, and her hand covered her mouth.
"No sweetie, Sokka's not-he isn't…" she trailed off waiting for the right words to come to her mind. Oh great Toph thought embarrassingly Sokka's probably freaking out.
"No it's fine. She can call me that if she wants." He said shaken out of his reverie.
"No, Sokka she should know." She said warily. "Lin-"
"I meant that I want her to call me that. I mean…if that's okay with you?"
"I…um…yea I guess that's okay." Toph said evenly, hiding her emotions. "Okay little one, I think it's time for your nap." Toph grabbed a hold of Lin's hand and walked her down to her room.
"Aw mom, I don't want to." She said with spunk.
"But little earth benders need to get a lot of sleep if they want to grow up to be like their mommies."
"And daddies!" Lin interjected. Toph hesitated before saying "Yes, and daddies."
Sokka heard Lin's bedroom door close shut before Toph walked over to wear he stood. "I'm sorry I just…" she didn't know what to say.
"I've always thought of her as my own Toph. Ever since-" Sokka was cut off by the tears streaming uncharacteristically down Toph's face. Seeing them, he wrapped his arms around her and ran his hand up and down her back comfortingly. His warm lips began kissing at her throat, her favorite spot, before trailing them up to her ear to whisper "Shh, its okay. I love you."